Maria Ressa: Trump Is Using ‘a Dictator Playbook’ Going After the Press, You Will Lose Democracy

NAWAZ So if the ░░░░░░░░ is under attack here ░░░░░░░░ as an observer watching ░░░░░░░░ all unfold what do ░░░░░░░░ make of the way ░░░░░░░░ the press has responded ░░░░░░░░ particular the fact that ░░░░░░░░ s been a major ░░░░░░░░ organization in ABC that ░░░░░░░░ already settled a lawsuit ░░░░░░░░ the president It s ░░░░░░░░ that CBS would likely ░░░░░░░░ the same What do ░░░░░░░░ make of that RESSA ░░░░░░░░ t voluntarily give up ░░░░░░░░ rights right I mean ░░░░░░░░ in I will give ░░░░░░░░ our example in the ░░░░░░░░ where the first newspaper ░░░░░░░░ up the television station ░░░░░░░░ up largest it lost ░░░░░░░░ franchise or license to ░░░░░░░░ And guess what It ░░░░░░░░ regained it even after ░░░░░░░░ time of Duterte Little ░░░░░░░░ with about 100 120 ░░░░░░░░ we stood up And ░░░░░░░░ was difficult It was ░░░░░░░░ but we re still ░░░░░░░░ right A point in ░░░░░░░░ when I faced over ░░░░░░░░ century in jail but ░░░░░░░░ m still here And ░░░░░░░░ 2021 I had lost ░░░░░░░░ of my rights I ░░░░░░░░ t allowed to travel ░░░░░░░░ example but now here ░░░░░░░░ am I m in ░░░░░░░░ York City teaching at ░░░░░░░░ University right So I ░░░░░░░░ what I m saying ░░░░░░░░ hold the line is ░░░░░░░░ phrase we use because ░░░░░░░░ s connected to the ░░░░░░░░ that you deserve as ░░░░░░░░ citizen And if you ░░░░░░░░ not hold the line ░░░░░░░░ this crucial moment this ░░░░░░░░ the moment when you ░░░░░░░░ strongest it will only ░░░░░░░░ will only get weaker ░░░░░░░░ time And it isn ░░░░░░░░ just the journalists because ░░░░░░░░ are the front lines ░░░░░░░░ this but the question ░░░░░░░░ to every single citizen ░░░░░░░░ America It s the ░░░░░░░░ I threw in the ░░░░░░░░ how to stand up ░░░░░░░░ a dictator And that ░░░░░░░░ is simple What are ░░░░░░░░ willing to sacrifice for ░░░░░░░░ truth Because if you ░░░░░░░░ t have facts you ░░░░░░░░ and I have said ░░░░░░░░ over and over since ░░░░░░░░ Without facts you can ░░░░░░░░ have truth Without truth ░░░░░░░░ can t have trust ░░░░░░░░ these we have no ░░░░░░░░ reality You can t ░░░░░░░░ any problem let alone ░░░░░░░░ ones like climate change ░░░░░░░░ can t have journalism ░░░░░░░░ can t have democracy ░░░░░░░░ in a system like ░░░░░░░░ only a dictatorship wins ░░░░░░░░ Maria you re drawing ░░░░░░░░ comparisons here based on ░░░░░░░░ lived experience of course ░░░░░░░░ there are folks who ░░░░░░░░ say look the U ░░░░░░░░ is not the Philippines ░░░░░░░░ is not Duterte Our ░░░░░░░░ is not the same ░░░░░░░░ the one that you ░░░░░░░░ in What do you ░░░░░░░░ to that the idea ░░░░░░░░ this is somehow immune ░░░░░░░░ system from the same ░░░░░░░░ that the Philippines fell ░░░░░░░░ to RESSA I think ░░░░░░░░ have two two ways ░░░░░░░░ respond to that The ░░░░░░░░ is it isn t ░░░░░░░░ the Philippines There is ░░░░░░░░ dictator s playbook and ░░░░░░░░ can look first at ░░░░░░░░ actually even before that ░░░░░░░░ Hungary Russia right with ░░░░░░░░ taking office And the ░░░░░░░░ step is really to ░░░░░░░░ elected once you re ░░░░░░░░ to crush the systems ░░░░░░░░ checks and balances and ░░░░░░░░ replace them with your ░░░░░░░░ we re starting to ░░░░░░░░ them the broligarchy because ░░░░░░░░ s far more potent ░░░░░░░░ tech guys are more ░░░░░░░░ than just normal oligarchies ░░░░░░░░ is political largess political ░░░░░░░░ You have to decide ░░░░░░░░ world you want to ░░░░░░░░ in You have to ░░░░░░░░ whether rule of law ░░░░░░░░ You cannot normalize impunity ░░░░░░░░ if you don t ░░░░░░░░ time we normalize that ░░░░░░░░ you lose more and ░░░░░░░░ of your rights But ░░░░░░░░ s a positive note ░░░░░░░░ Duterte s term ended ░░░░░░░░ had one six year ░░░░░░░░ He did try to ░░░░░░░░ And perhaps if the ░░░░░░░░ had supported him I ░░░░░░░░ t be here But ░░░░░░░░ now have another president ░░░░░░░░ those 10 criminal cases ░░░░░░░░ I have had I ░░░░░░░░ now won eight of ░░░░░░░░ 10 and two left ░░░░░░░░ still have to ask ░░░░░░░░ Supreme Court for approval ░░░░░░░░ travel but we re ░░░░░░░░ It s alarming to ░░░░░░░░ it happening all over ░░░░░░░░ NAWAZ We should point ░░░░░░░░ Maria that the majority ░░░░░░░░ Americans say they don ░░░░░░░░ even trust the media ░░░░░░░░ now that we have ░░░░░░░░ a decline in that ░░░░░░░░ over years And many ░░░░░░░░ like to see the ░░░░░░░░ go after the press ░░░░░░░░ the way that he ░░░░░░░░ They will hear this ░░░░░░░░ and say good I ░░░░░░░░ glad he s doing ░░░░░░░░ he s doing What ░░░░░░░░ the independent press ever ░░░░░░░░ for me What would ░░░░░░░░ say to them RESSA ░░░░░░░░ role of journalists in ░░░░░░░░ country in a democracy ░░░░░░░░ the Philippines like the ░░░░░░░░ States is to hold ░░░░░░░░ to account And I ░░░░░░░░ that is why I ░░░░░░░░ you re not going ░░░░░░░░ have an influencer or ░░░░░░░░ content creator stand up ░░░░░░░░ a dictator You re ░░░░░░░░ going to have someone ░░░░░░░░ a set of principles ░░░░░░░░ standards and ethics that ░░░░░░░░ pushes against their own ░░░░░░░░ interest We re seeing ░░░░░░░░ of these begin to ░░░░░░░░ But here s the ░░░░░░░░ Part of what triggered ░░░░░░░░ is the technology the ░░░░░░░░ information ecosystem we live ░░░░░░░░ Journalists and news organizations ░░░░░░░░ been under attack from ░░░░░░░░ very beginning So your ░░░░░░░░ of faith in that ░░░░░░░░ a self fulfilling prophecy ░░░░░░░░ lose journalism the way ░░░░░░░░ practice it you lose ░░░░░░░░ NAWAZ Maria Ressa always ░░░░░░░░ a pleasure to speak ░░░░░░░░ you Thank you so ░░░░░░░░ for making the time.”