On October 8, 2021, Maria A. Ressa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize of 2021 alongside Russian Journalist Dmitry Muratov “for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.” This makes Ressa the first Filipino Nobel Laureate.
Maria Ressa is a Filipino-American journalist of more than 30 years.
She worked as CNN Manila’s bureau chief for eight (8) years before opening the network’s Jakarta bureau in 1995. With a focus on terrorism in South-East Asia, she held the position of lead investigative reporter, publishing her first book, Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of al-Qaeda’s Newest Center of Operations in Southeast Asia, during her time at CNN.
Before co-founding Rappler, an online news site, in 2012, Ressa headed ABS-CBN News and Current affairs for six (6) years.
Among numerous other accolades, she is most well known for her position as Rappler’s CEO and Executive Editor. The online news organization can be marked by its tough reporting on the Duterte Administration.
Currently, the Philippines ranks 138th out of 180 countries in the France-based Reporters Without Borders' (RSF) World Press Freedom Index. 2021 marks the fourth consecutive year in which the country has dropped in the index.
The RSF attributes the country’s ranking to President Duterte’s continuous verbal and legal attacks on media outlets. This includes the government’s harassment of Rappler as well as its CEO Maria Ressa, and the shutdown of ABS-CBN. Additionally, the organization cites the online harassment and red-tagging of journalists and perceived opposition of the Duterte administration as contributing factors.
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