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 Maria Ressa   Philippines, 2021

Maria Ressa

Philippines, 2021

Maria Ressa has been a journalist in Asia for over 35 years.  She received the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Dmitry Muratov in 2021 for their "efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace."

Maria Ressa co-founded Rappler, a digital investigative news site leading the fight for press freedom in the Philippines. Rappler has documented persecution and summary execution of thousands of people under former President Rodrigo Duterte’s regime, fact-checked government statements, and exposed fake news. As Rappler's CEO and president, Maria has endured constant political harassment, arrests, and ongoing legal challenges, while Rappler has faced numerous attempts to have its license revoked.

Rappler's battle for truth and democracy is portrayed in the 2020 Sundance Film Festival documentary A Thousand Cuts.

Maria was born in the Philippines but grew up in the United States after her family migrated to New Jersey in 1973. She graduated from Princeton University with a B.A. degree in English and certificates in theater and dance in 1986. She returned to Manila in 1986 and worked for the newly liberated government station, People's Television 4. In 1987, she began reporting for CNN, and joined ABS-CBN.

Before co-founding Rappler, Maria investigated terrorism in Southeast Asia. She opened and ran CNN's Manila Bureau for nearly a decade before moving to Indonesia and opening the network's Jakarta bureau. In 2005 she returned to Manila as the senior vice president in charge of ABS-CBN's multimedia news operations.

Maria wrote “Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of al-Qaeda’s Newest Center of Operations in Southeast Asia”, “From Bin Laden to Facebook: 10 Days of Abduction, 10 Years of Terrorism”, and “How to Stand up to a Dictator”.

She is a recipient of numerous awards, including the Golden Pen of Freedom Award, the Knight International Journalism Award, the Columbia Journalism Award, the Sergei Magnitsky Award for Investigative Journalism, and many others.

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The Laureates

Rigoberta Menchú Tum

Guatemala

Jody Williams

USA

Shirin Ebadi

Iran

Leymah Gbowee

Liberia

Tawakkol Karman

Yemen

Narges Mohammadi

Iran

Oleksandra Matviichuk

Ukraine

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In the media

Maria Ressa says Americans must ‘hold the line’ against autocracy. GBH. 01 May 2025.

Exclusive: 10 Counsellors attending the One Young World Summit Munich, 2025. One Young World. 26 April 2025.

As Trump Attacks CBS, Maria Ressa Warns He Is Following Philippine Model to Crack Down on Free Press. Democracy Now. 24 April 2025.

Maria Ressa donates T-shirts to the Nobel Prize Museum. The Nobel Prize. 01 April 2025.

Rebuilding from the rubble. Rappler. 30 December 2024.

Restore the Olympic Peace. Project Syndicate. 15 July 2024.

Maria Ressa On Democracy's 'Death By A Thousand Cuts' And How To Fight Back. Radio Free Europe|Radio Europe. 30 June 2024.

Nobel laureates meet Pope Francis, seek help to end war and build peace. Rappler. 12 May 2024.

Cannes Lions honours Maria Ressa as its 2024 Cannes LionHeart. Cannes Lions. 09 May 2024.

Maria Ressa and Tawakkol Larman meet Pope Francis. Rappler. 06 December 2023.

Nobel laureate Maria Ressa acquitted in Philippines tax evasion case. Aljazeera. 12 September 2023.

World Faces 'Tech-Enabled Armageddon,' Maria Ressa Says. Voice of America. 05 September 2023.

Books and Film

Book: How to Stand Up to a Dictator. Published on 29 November 2022.

Film: A Thousand Cuts

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