Maria Ressa
Speed read
Maria Ressa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines.
Full name: Maria Ressa
Born: 2 October 1963, Manila, Philippines
Date awarded: 8 October 2021
A leader in the struggle for a free press
Maria Ressa is a journalist from the Philippines. She has been a key critic of the Philippine government and its President Rodrigo Duterte. Ressa and her news website Rappler have also put the spotlight on Facebook and other social media. They believe that the misuse and unregulation of these channels are a threat to democracy in several countries. The Philippine authorities have accused Ressa of tax evasion and cyberlibel, something that she and her supporters consider a smear campaign.
Ressa previously worked as Bureau Chief for CNN in the Philippines and in Indonesia. She made her name as an investigative journalist specialising in terrorist networks in Asia. In 2012, Ressa and three colleagues launched the news website Rappler, which has become a very important source of fact-based journalism in the Philippines.
"This is an extraordinary tribute to journalism, an excellent tribute to two incredible figures, Maria and Dmitry. [However] journalism is in danger, journalism is weakened, journalism is threatened … all over the world."
- Christophe Deloire, Secretary General of Reporters Without Borders, commenting on the Nobel Peace Prize, 8 October 2021
| Freedom of the press Freedom of the press means that the press has the right to provide information, and engage in criticism and debate, without censorship or risk of retaliation. |
Freedom of expression under attack in the Philippines
Freedom of the press is under attack in the Philippines. When controversial Rodrigo Duterte was elected president in 2016, he began a relentless war against drugs. This led to a difficult period for journalists. Drug dealers and addicts were hunted down and executed without trial or evidence, and journalists covering this were harassed. In the Philippines, “Red-tagging” is a kind of public accusation of being a communist combatant. The authorities use it to point out journalists the police can harass, injure or, in the worst case, kill. In 2021, the Philippines was ranked No. 138 out of 180 on the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index, and is considered as one of the world’s five worst countries to be a journalist.
A media channel for truth and positive change
Maria Ressa co-founded Philippine media channel Rappler in 2011. It engages in independent investigative journalism, dialogue meetings and collaboration, in order to build societies that actively contribute to a better world. Rappler publishes news, investigative journalism, research and opinions from community leaders, citizens and vulnerable groups. The organisation, which consists of experienced journalists, young idealists and change-makers, works to expose disinformation, and has shown how social media is used to spread fake news.
"We at Rappler fight impunity on these two fronts: the Philippine government, and Facebook […]. Both seed violence, fear, and lies that poison our democracy."
- Maria Ressa, acceptance speech, CPJ’s Press Freedom Award, 21 November 2018
Brave enemy of the state
Rappler is uncompromising in uncovering abuses of power and fighting disinformation. This has made Maria Ressa a target for Duterte’s government. She has been falsely accused of everything from tax evasion to cybercrime and subjected to hate campaigns on social media. Ressa has long been critical of Facebook, and believes it is used as a platform for fake news produced by the Philippine authorities. Despite hate campaigns and death threats, Maria Ressa continues to fight for free speech and a free press in the Philippines.
| Freedom of expression The right you have to express your opinion, as long as it is not hateful or discriminatory. You also have the right to receive and provide information. |
| Democracy Greek for government by the people. A form of government in which all adult citizens participate in the governing of the state and everyone is equal under the law. Most democracies are representative governments. Individuals are elected to assemblies that take decisions on behalf of all citizens. |
Freedom of expression awards
Announcing the Nobel Peace Prize for 2021, the Norwegian Nobel Committee emphasised freedom of expression as a prerequisite for democracy and lasting peace. The peace prize has been given to brave critics before. Two of the most famous, Carl von Ossietzky in 1936 (for 1935) and Liu Xiaobo in 2010, also faced strong reactions when they received it. Among other famous peace laureates who had to endure threats and persecution for their outspokenness are Martin Luther King jr (1964), Nelson Mandela (1993) and Malala Yousafzai (2014). Including Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, 15 journalists and writers have received the Nobel Peace Prize.
Learn more
In this interview from September 2022 Maria Ressa talks about how she became a journalist, why press freedom is important, how we can combat disinformation and what gives her hope about the future.
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Nobel Prizes and laureates
Six prizes were awarded for achievements that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. The 12 laureates' work and discoveries range from proteins' structures and machine learning to fighting for a world free of nuclear weapons.
See them all presented here.
