Maria Ressa

Maria Ressa, born on October second, nineteen sixty-three, is a distinguished Filipino-American journalist and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She is the co-founder and CEO of Rappler, a prominent online news platform in the Philippines. Ressa's career spans nearly two decades as a lead investigative reporter for CNN in Southeast Asia, where she gained recognition for her fearless reporting and commitment to truth.

Raised in Toms River, New Jersey, Ressa has made significant contributions to journalism and academia. She currently serves as a Professor of Professional Practice at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and has been appointed as a Distinguished Fellow at the Institute of Global Politics since the fall of twenty twenty-three.

Ressa's work has not gone without challenges. On February thirteenth, two thousand nineteen, she was arrested by Philippine authorities on charges of cyberlibel related to a story published by Rappler. This incident, along with her subsequent conviction on June fifteenth, two thousand twenty, under the controversial Anti-Cybercrime law, has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights advocates and journalists, who view it as an assault on press freedom.

As a vocal critic of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Ressa's legal battles have been perceived as politically motivated. In recognition of her unwavering dedication to freedom of expression, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in twenty twenty-one, alongside Dmitry Muratov, for their efforts to protect this fundamental right, essential for democracy and lasting peace.