PERSON: Maria Ressa

Rappler

Chief Executive Officer

Maria Angelita Ressa (Tagalog pronunciation: [ˈɾesa], born on October 2, 1963) is a Filipino-American journalist and author, the co-founder and CEO of Rappler, and the first Filipino recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. She previously spent nearly two decades working as a lead investigative reporter in Southeast Asia for CNN.

Ressa was included in Time’s Person of the Year 2018 issue as one of a collection of journalists from around the world combating fake news. On February 13, 2019, she was arrested by Philippine authorities for cyberlibel due to accusations that Rappler published a false news story concerning businessman Wilfredo Keng. On June 15, 2020, a court in Manila found her guilty of cyberlibel under the controversial Anti-Cybercrime law, a move condemned by human rights groups and journalists as an attack on press freedom. As she is a prominent critic of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, her arrest and conviction was seen by many in the opposition and the international community as a politically motivated act by Duterte’s government. Ressa is one of the 25 leading figures on the Information and Democracy Commission launched by Reporters Without Borders. She was awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Dmitry Muratov for “their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”

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