"Albo has just been honoured by TIME magazine, named among the 100 most influential figures in the world -- a recognition celebrating his transformative leadership and global impact as Prime Minister," reads an April 22 Instagram post, accompanied by what appears to be a cover of Time magazine with a picture of Albanese.
The false claim has also spread on X and Facebook with one user attaching a caption that reads: "Just in case you didn't know Time magazine was a mad left wing publication... they just hung up a giant red flag."
Another fabricated cover purporting to show the magazine announcing Albanese's inclusion in the 2026 list has also circulated online.
Time magazine released its annual Top 100 Most Influential People list on April 15, announcing in a press release that their choices are "the leaders, innovators, and changemakers who are redefining the future" (archived link).
Some social media users appear to take the magazine covers at face value, with Albanese's supporters praising him as a "leader on the world stage fighting for a better Australia" and his detractors criticising Time magazine for being "out of touch with reality".
While there is a section of political figures -- which includes Chinese President Xi Jinping, Pope Leo XIV and New York mayor Zohran Mamdani -- Albanese is not on the list (archived link).
He is also not on any of the four covers that Time has for the issue. Instead, the covers are of actress Zoe Saldana, comedian Nikki Glaser,...
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