Maria Ressa

ABOUT TONIGHT’S SPEAKER

A fearless defender of freedom of expression, Maria Ressa was awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for her work exposing the human rights abuses of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. She is a staunch advocate for independent journalism and co-founded Rappler, the top digital-only news site that is leading the fight for press freedom in the Philippines.

As Rappler’s president and CEO, Ressa has endured constant political harassment and arrests by Duterte’s administration. She has posted bail no fewer than 10 times in order to remain free. Ressa’s battle for truth and democracy is the subject of the 2020 award-winning documentary “A Thousand Cuts,” which profiles her fearless reporting on the abuses of Duterte’s authoritarian presidency. The film also illustrates social media’s capacity to manipulate public discourse and entrench political power.

In response to Facebook’s role in disseminating and promoting “fake news,” Ressa co-founded the Oversight Board: an independent group of journalists, academics, and activists who aim to hold the tech company accountable for what content they take down, what they leave up, and why those decisions are made.

Ressa was named a TIME Magazine Person of the Year in 2018 and was among the publication’s “100 Most Influential People of 2019” and “Most Influential Women of the Century.” She was also listed as one of the BBC’s “100 Most Inspiring and Influential Women of 2019” and Prospect Magazine’s “World’s Top 50 Thinkers.” She has received many awards over her 36-year journalism career.

Her memoir “How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for Our Future” was released in November 2022 to critical acclaim. Amal Clooney, who is Ressa’s attorney, wrote the book’s forward.

Tonight, Ressa will share timely observations on social media’s impact on democracy and what lies ahead for press freedom if journalists do not hold the line.