Maria Ressa Explained
Maria Ressa |
Birth Name: | Maria Angelita Delfin Aycardo |
Birth Date: | 2 October 1963 |
Birth Place: | Manila, Philippines |
Known: | Co-founding Rappler |
Maria Angelita Ressa (in Tagalog pronounced as /ˈɾesa/; born Maria Angelita Delfin Aycardo on October 2, 1963) is a Filipino and American journalist. She is the co-founder and CEO of Rappler.[1] She previously spent nearly two decades working as a lead investigative reporter in Southeast Asia for CNN.[2] She will become Professor of Professional Practice in the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University on July 1, 2024, and has been a Distinguished Fellow at Columbia's new Institute of Global Politics since fall of 2023.[3]
Ressa was born in Manila and raised in Toms River, New Jersey. She was included in Time Person of the Year 2018 issue featuring a collection of journalists from around the world actively combatting 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[4] [5] under the controversial Anti-Cybercrime law,[6] [7] a move condemned by human rights groups and journalists as an attack on press freedom.[8] [9] [10] As she is a prominent critic of the then 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.[11] [12] Ressa is one of the 25 leading figures on the Information and Democracy Commission launched by Reporters Without Borders.[13] 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."[14] [15]
Early life
Ressa was born in Manila in October 1963.[16] Ressa's father Phil Sunico Aycardo, a Chinese-Filipino, died when she was one year old. She grew up speaking only Tagalog and studied at St. Scholastica's College in Manila. Her mother, Hermelina, then moved to the United States, leaving Ressa and her sister with their father's family, but would visit her two children frequently.[17] Subsequently, her mother married an Italian-American man named Peter Ames Ressa and returned to the Philippines. She brought both of her children to New Jersey when Ressa was 10 years old. Ressa was adopted by her stepfather and she took his last name.[18] Her parents then relocated to Toms River, New Jersey, where she went to Toms River High School North, a public school. Though she barely spoke English when she moved to New Jersey, she went on to be a three-time president of her high school class and a performer in school plays. The school named its newly renovated auditorium after her in 2021.[19] [20]
Her yearbook profile included her dreams to set out and conquer the world.[21] [22] [23] [24] Ressa was an undergraduate student at Princeton University, where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English and certificates in theater and dance in 1986.[25] [26] [27] [28] She completed a 77-page-long senior thesis titled "Sagittarius" that was an allegorical play about Philippine politics.[29] [30] She then was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study political theater at the University of the Philippines Diliman where she also taught several journalism courses as a faculty member in the university.[31] [32]
Career
Ressa's first job was at government station PTV 4.[33] She then co-founded independent production company Probe in 1987, and simultaneously served as CNN's bureau chief in Manila until 1995. She then ran CNN's Jakarta bureau from 1995 to 2005.[34] As CNN's lead investigative reporter in Asia, she specialized in investigating terrorist networks.[35] She became an author-in-residence at the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) of Nanyang Technological University's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.[36] From 2004, Ressa headed the news division of ABS-CBN,[37] while also writing for CNN,[38] and The Wall Street Journal.[39] In September 2010, she wrote a piece for The Wall Street Journal criticising the then president Benigno Aquino III handling of the bus hostage crisis.[40] This piece was published two weeks before the president's official visit to the United States of America. Speculations were rife that this, among other reasons, finally led to Ressa leaving the company in 2010, after deciding not to renew her contract.[41] [42] [40]
Ressa is a fellow at the Initiative on the Digital Economy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology andis a 2021 Joan Shorenstein Fellow at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy and Hauser Leader at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School.[43]
Books
She is the author of three books concerning the rise of terrorism in Southeast Asia—Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of Al-Qaeda's Newest Center (2003)[44] and From Bin Laden to Facebook: 10 Days of Abduction, 10 Years of Terrorism (2013).[45] and How to Stand Up To a Dictator (2022).[46]
Teaching
Ressa has also taught courses in politics and the press in Southeast Asia for Princeton University, and broadcast journalism for the University of the Philippines Diliman.[47]
Rappler
Ressa established the online news site Rappler in 2012 along with three other female founders and with a small team of 12 journalists and developers. It initially started as a Facebook page named MovePH in August 2011,[48] evolving into a complete website on January 1, 2012.[49] The site became one of the first multimedia news websites in the Philippines and a major news portal in the Philippines, receiving numerous local and international awards. She serves as the Executive Editor and Chief Executive Officer of the news website.[50]
"Real Content Oversight Board"
On September 25, 2020, Ressa became one the 25 members of the "Real Facebook Oversight Board," an independent watchdog group established to provide public commentary on Facebook's content moderation policies and role in civic life.[51]
UN Internet Governance Forum
Ressa was among the ten members of the leadership panel appointed in August 2022 in support of the United Nations' Internet Governance Forum, an annual discussion focusing on addressing issues concerning the internet.[52]
Issue One – Council for Responsible Social Media
In October 2022, Ressa joined the Council for Responsible Social Media project launched by Issue One to address the negative mental, civic, and public health impacts of social media in the United States co-chaired by former House Democratic Caucus Leader Dick Gephardt and former Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey.[53] [54]
Legal issues
Ressa first interviewed Rodrigo Duterte, the 16th president of the Philippines, in the 1980s when he was mayor of Davao. She again interviewed him in 2015 during his presidential election campaign, where he confessed to killing three people when he was mayor.[55] [56] Under her leadership, Rappler has been consistently critical of Duterte's policies, especially his policies on the war on drugs with their stories demonstrating that the abuses were being carried out by the police with Duterte's approval. The website under her stewardship also wrote about the alleged pro-Duterte online "troll army" which according to their article, were pushing out fake news stories and manipulating the narrative around his presidency.[50]
In July 2017, in his State of the Nation Address, Duterte declared Rappler to be "fully owned" by the Americans and hence in violation of the constitution. He also said, "Not only is Rappler's news fake, it being Filipino is also fake." Subsequently, in August 2017, the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) initiated an investigation against Rappler and demanded to check its documents. In January 2018, it revoked Rappler's license to do business.[57] The case went to the court of appeals, where it was remanded back to the SEC for having no basis.[58] [59] Duterte told a Rappler reporter in 2018: "If you are trying to throw garbage at us, then the least that we can do is explain – how about you? Are you also clean?" The government under his leadership revoked the site's operating license.[55]
Arrest and conviction
See also: People of the Philippines v. Santos, Ressa and Rappler. On January 22, 2018, Ressa appeared before the Philippines' National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), to comply with a subpoena over an online libel complaint under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, which the administration of Rodrigo Duterte has wielded to punish criticism of the President and his allies.[60] [61] [62] [63] [64] The subpoena was issued on January 10 to Ressa, together with former Rappler reporter Reynaldo Santos, and businessman Benjamin Bitanga. The subpoena was filed in October 2017 by a Filipino–Chinese national, Wilfredo Keng, after Rappler published a story on Keng's alleged lending of his sports utility vehicle to now-deceased Chief Justice Renato Corona as a bribed form of favor.[65] Though the article was written in 2012 before the act criminalizing cyberlibel was signed into law by Benigno Aquino III, the Department of Justice considered it republished after a typographical error was corrected in 2014. In 2019, human rights lawyers Amal Clooney, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, and Can Yeginsu joined the legal team (consisting of international and Filipino lawyers) defending Ressa.[66] The Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), which is the main human rights law firm in the Philippines, led by Atty. Theodore O. "Ted" Te, managed the legal team of Ressa during her different cases.[67] [68]
In November 2018, the Philippine government announced that it would charge Ressa and Rappler's parent company, Rappler Holdings Corporation, with tax evasion and failure to file tax returns.[69] The charge concerns the investment in Rappler by the Omidyar Network in 2015.[70] Ressa has denied wrongdoing,[71] originally stating that the foreign money was "donated" to its managers, later stating the investments were in the form of securities.[72] Rappler issued a statement denying any wrongdoing.[73] The Philippines' Bureau of Internal Revenue, after a study of Ressa's explanation, ruled that Rappler's issuance of securities-generated capital gains was taxable. It concluded that Rappler evaded payment amounting to ₱133million in taxes.[72]
On February 13, 2019, Philippine judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch #46 issued the arrest warrant for "cyber libel" against Ressa for an article published on Rappler. The officials of the Philippines National Bureau of Investigation fulfilled this warrant filed under the charge of cyber libel. The "cyber libel" law was passed after the article was originally published, so the charge was based on the technicality that fixing a typo might be considered "republishing".[74] The arrest was live-streamed by many of Rappler's senior reporters on Facebook.[75]
Due to time constraints, Ressa was unable to post bail amounting to ₱60,000 ($1,150) resulting in her arrest and confinement within the (holding) board room office of the NBI building. A total of six lawyers, two pro bono, were assigned to work on her case.[76] On February 14, 2019, at the executor proceeding of Manila city Judge Maria Teresa Abadilla, Ressa gained freedom by posting bail at ₱100,000 ($1,900).[77]
Ressa's arrest was criticized by the international community. As Ressa is an outspoken critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, many viewed the arrest as being politically motivated.[78] In contrast, the official spokesperson for the Malacañang Palace denied any government involvement in the arrest, asserting that the lawsuit against Ressa was set forth by a private individual, the plaintiff Wilfredo Keng.
Madeleine Albright, a former U.S. Secretary of State, issued an opinion stating that the arrest "must be condemned by all democratic nations".[79] Similarly, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines called it "a shameless act of persecution by a bully government".[80]
The National Press Club, an organization accused of having close ties to the Duterte regime and with a long history of criticizing the Rappler organization, has stated that the arrest was not harassment, and that Ressa should not be relegated to "the altar of press freedom for martyrdom".[81] It also warned against politicizing the issue.
Ressa's trial on charges of cyberlibel began in July 2019. In a statement she made on the first day of her trial, Ressa said: "This case of cyberlibel stretches the rule of law until it breaks."[82]
Ressa was found guilty on June 15, 2020. In her ruling, Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa argued that Rappler "did not offer a scintilla of proof that they verified the imputations of various crimes in the disputed article... They just simply published them as news in their online publication in reckless disregard of whether they are false or not."[83] The judge also quoted Nelson Mandela, saying, "To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." Sheila Coronel, director of the Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University, argued that the conviction is representative of "how democracy dies in the 21st century."[84]
Ressa faces between six months and six years in prison and a fine of ₱400,000 ($8,000).[85] Ressa warned that her conviction could augur the end of freedom of the press in the Philippines.[86] Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque asked the media to "respect the decision" and said Duterte was still committed to free speech, while Vice President Leni Robredo described the conviction as a "chilling development" and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines said it "basically kills freedom of speech and of the press." Internationally the ruling has been criticized by Human Rights Watch,[87] Amnesty International,[88] and Reporters Without Borders.[89] In its statement condemning the sentence, Reporters Without Borders described the legal proceedings against Ressa as "Kafkaesque".[90]
On January 15, 2023, 12 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, including all of the 2022 laureates and her fellow 2021 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitri Muratov, issued an open letter to President Marcos implored him to “assist in bringing about a rapid resolution to the unjust charges against Maria Ressa and Rappler.” [91] [92]
In January 2023, the Philippine Court of Tax Appeals acquitted Ressa and Rappler of four tax evasion charges, stemming from the 2018 case.[93] [94] Ressa was acquitted of a fifth tax evasion case in September 2023.[95] Ressa's court conviction for cyberlibel and the Securities and Exchange Commission's order for Rappler to shut down are under appeal.
The Supreme Court of the Philippines First Division's resolution dated January 24, 2024, granted Irene Khan's Motion for Leave to Intervene, to sit as an "amicus curiae" or chosen Expert and it also admitted and noted her amicus brief submitted through attorney Rodel Taton. "The law in the country fails to adequately protect the right to freedom of expression, citing Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which the Philippines is a member. The country's Ant-Cybercrime Law raises serious concerns that it limits the ability of journalists to expose, document and address issues of important public interest, thereby violating the right to receive and impart information," Khan's brief alleged. The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute was also permitted to submit its legal opinion “by way of special appearance” through attorney Maria Cristina Yambot, in Ressa and Reynaldo Santos' case.[96] [97]
In her 5th tax evasion case, Ressa was acquitted by the Court of Tax Appeals Second Division, in its 17-page judgment promulgated on July 16. It denied SG Menardo Guevarra's certiorari and sustained Pasig RTC Branch 157, Presiding Judge Ana Teresa Cornejo-Tomacruz's junking of the case on September 2023.[98]
Awards and recognition
Ressa has won an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Investigative Journalism, the Asian Television Awards, TOWNS – Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service (Philippines) and TOYM Philippines.[99] [100]
- In 2010, Esquire proclaimed Ressa the Philippines' "sexiest woman alive," explaining: "Despite her size, fearless enough to write an eyewitness account of Al-Qaeda."[101]
- In 2015, the Philippine Movie Press Club awarded Ressa with an Excellence in Broadcasting Lifetime Achievement award at the 29th PMPC Star Awards for Television.[102]
- In 2016, she was listed as one of the eight most influential and powerful leaders in the Philippines by Kalibrr.[103]
- In November 2017, Ressa, as the CEO of news organization Rappler, accepted the 2017 Democracy Award awarded by the National Democratic Institute to three organizations at its annual Democracy Award Dinner in Washington, D.C., entitled "Disinformation vs. Democracy: Fighting for Facts".[104]
- In May 2018, Ressa received the Knight International Journalism Award, where she was described as "an intrepid editor and media innovator who holds a spotlight to the Philippine government’s bloody war on drugs."[105]
- In June 2018, Ressa received the World Association of Newspapers's Golden Pen of Freedom Award for her work with Rappler.[106]
- In November 2018, the Committee to Protect Journalists awarded Ressa with the Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award in "recognition of her journalistic courage in the face of persistent official harassment."[107]
- In December 2018, she was included in Times Person of the Year 2018, as one of "The Guardians", a number of journalists from around the world combating the "War on Truth."[108] [109] Ressa is the second Filipino to receive the title after former President Corazon Aquino in 1986.
- In February 2019, Ressa received the Ka Pepe Diokno Human Rights Award together with Bishop Pablo Virgilio Ambo David from the Tañada-Diokno College of Law at De La Salle University and the Jose W. Diokno Foundation, as presented by Dean Chel Diokno.[110]
- In April 2019, she was included in Times 100 Most Influential People in the World.[111]
- In May 2019, Ressa won the Columbia Journalism Award from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, the school's highest honor, "for the depth and quality of her work, as well as her courage and persistence in the field."[112]
- In June 2019, Ressa received the Canadian Journalism Foundation's Tribute honour, which recognizes a journalist who has made an impact on the international stage.[113]
- In October 2019, Ressa was named on the BBC's list of 100 Women.[114]
- In April 2021, Ressa won the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.[115]
- In November 2022, Ressa received an honorary degree from MacEwan University in Edmonton, Canada.[116]
- In February 2022, Ressa received Princeton University's highest undergraduate alumni honor, the Woodrow Wilson Award.[117]
- In June 2023, Ressa received an honorary degree in sociology from the Ateneo de Manila University after giving the commencement speech.[118]
- In 2024, Ressa was named Harvard University's commencement speaker. [119] Her selection drew her into the controversy of on-campus protests about the Israel-Hamas War.[120] [121] In addition, she stated in the speech itself, "“I was attacked online and called antisemitic, by power and money. Because they want power and money. While the other side was already attacking me because I had been onstage with Hillary Clinton. Hard to win, right?”. Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi of Harvard walked off the stage.[122]
- Ressa is the 2024 Cannes LionHeart recipient, Simon Cook, CEO announced. She will deliver a keynote address at Debussy Stage on June 21.[123]
Nobel Peace Prize
See main article: 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. Ressa was nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize by prime minister and leader of the Norwegian Labour Party Jonas Gahr Støre.[124] [125] On October 8, 2021, Ressa was officially announced as the recipient of the prize alongside Dmitry Muratov of the Russian Federation. They were awarded the prize "for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace".[126] Ressa and Muratov are the first journalists since 1935 to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.[127]
Personal life
Ressa is openly lesbian.[128]
In May 2024, she was accused of antisemitism by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. This was due to an editorial in Rappler, the Philippine publication Ressa cofounded in 2012 and leads as CEO, likened Israel to Hitler. An earlier comment she made about "money and power" was also criticized by Harvard Rabbi.[129] [130] [131]
Published works
- Book: Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of Al-Qaeda's Newest Center of Operations in Southeast Asia . The Free Press . 2003 . 978-0743251334.
- From Bin Laden to Facebook: 10 Days of Abduction, 10 Years of Terrorism. Imperial College Press. 2013. ISBN 978-1908979537.
- Book: How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for Our Future . 2022 . Harper . 978-0063257511.
See also
Notes and References
- News: 'Democracy as we know it is dead': Filipino journalists fight fake news. CBC News. April 27, 2017. Adrienne. Arsenault. November 27, 2022.
- News: Lagrimas . Nicole-Anne C. . Rappler CEO Maria Ressa arrested for cyber libel . February 13, 2019 . 2022-05-30 . GMA Network.
- Web site: Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa to Join SIPA Faculty. Columbia.edu . June 28, 2023.
- News: Ratcliffe. Rebecca. June 15, 2020. Maria Ressa: Rappler editor found guilty of cyber libel charges in Philippines. The Guardian. June 15, 2020. 0261-3077.
- News: Regencia. Ted. June 15, 2020. Maria Ressa found guilty in blow to Philippines' press freedom. Al Jazeera English. live. February 14, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20201112004522/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/6/15/maria-ressa-found-guilty-in-blow-to-philippines-press-freedom. November 12, 2020.
- News: June 15, 2020. Philippines: Maria Ressa's cyber libel verdict 'a method of silencing dissent'. Deutsche Welle. live. February 14, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20200616034306/https://www.dw.com/en/philippines-maria-ressas-cyber-libel-verdict-a-method-of-silencing-dissent/a-53811284. June 16, 2020.
- News: October 3, 2012. Philippine cybercrime law takes effect amid protests. BBC News. November 27, 2022.
- Web site: June 15, 2020. Philippines: CFWIJ condemns cyber libel conviction of Maria Ressa. June 29, 2020. The Coalition For Women In Journalism. June 30, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200630003432/https://womeninjournalism.org/cfwij-press-statements/cfwij-condemns-cyber-libel-conviction-of-maria-ressa. dead.
- News: June 17, 2020. US Senators Durbin, Markey, Leahy slam Ressa libel verdict. June 29, 2020. Philippine Daily Inquirer.
- News: Cabato. Regine. June 15, 2020. Conviction of Maria Ressa, hard-hitting Philippine American journalist, sparks condemnation. The Washington Post. November 27, 2022.
- News: Gonzales. Cathrine. June 15, 2020. Robredo: Ressa's cyber libel conviction a threat to Filipinos' freedom. June 29, 2020. Philippine Daily Inquirer.
- News: Dancel. Raul. June 15, 2020. Court finds prominent Philippine journalist and Duterte critic Maria Ressa guilty of cyber-libel. June 29, 2020. The Straits Times.
- Web site: Maria A. Ressa. September 9, 2018. Reporters Without Borders. June 15, 2020.
- News: Gavilan . Jodesz . What you need to know: Filipinos and the Nobel Peace Prize . . October 9, 2021 . November 27, 2022.
- Web site: The Nobel Peace Prize 2021. dead. October 8, 2021. October 8, 2021. Nobel Peace Prize. https://archive.today/20211008090154/https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/2021/summary/.
- Web site: Maria Ressa . Nobelprize.org . October 8, 2021.
- Web site: Manuel Phil III Sunico Aycardo. 2021-10-08.
- Web site: Montalvan II. Antonio J.. When fake news made Maria Ressa an 'Indonesian citizen'. 2021-10-27.
- Web site: Strunsky . Steve . 2021-02-22 . N.J. school district to name auditorium after alumna nominated for Nobel Peace Prize . 2024-05-11 . nj . en.
- Web site: Aronson . Emily . February 18, 2022 . Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa visited her NJ high school in the run-up to Princeton Alumni Day honors . 2024-05-11 . Princeton.edu . en.
- Web site: Pobre . Addie . 2021-10-12 . 10 Facts About Nobel Winner Maria Ressa, Including Her Childhood In The PH & Her Stint At CNN .
- Web site: Johnson. Eric. November 26, 2018. Memo from a 'Facebook nation' to Mark Zuckerberg: You moved fast and broke our country.. June 4, 2020. Vox. en.
- Amanda Oglesby: TIME person of the year, from Toms River, to trigger Time Square ball dro. Ashbury Park Press, 31. Dezember 2018
- Web site: May 26, 2019. 'Journalists are under attack globally': Maria Ressa. June 17, 2020. South China Morning Post. en.
- Web site: Maria Ressa : HuMan of the year. Spinbusters. September 27, 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131003090833/http://spinbusters.wordpress.com/2012/12/31/maria-ressa-human-of-the-year/. October 3, 2013.
- Web site: Maria Ressa: The best is yet to come. January 4, 2019. The Philippine Star. September 4, 2005.
- Web site: Q&A with Maria Ressa '86, Filipina journalist and Time 2018 Person of the Year. The Princetonian. May 28, 2020.
- Web site: Maria Ressa '86, journalist and 2018 Time Person of the Year, named 2020 Baccalaureate speaker. The Princetonian. May 28, 2020.
- Web site: Ressa. Maria Angelita. Princeton University. Department of English. Sagittarius. 1986 . English.
- Web site: Aguila . Almond N. . Maria Ressa: The best is yet to come . 2023-07-17 . Philstar.com.
- News: August 9, 2015. Maria Ressa: 'There's a need for transparency, accountability and consistency'. June 9, 2020. Southeast Asia Globe. en-US.
- Web site: Maria Ressa. June 10, 2020. World Economic Forum. en.
- Web site: CNN Programs – Anchors/Reporters – Maria Ressa. June 10, 2020. edition.cnn.com.
- Web site: September 9, 2018. Maria A. Ressa Reporters without borders. June 10, 2020. RSF. en.
- Web site: Life, the news, and Maria Ressa by Doreen Yu. . June 15, 2020.
- Web site: Maria Ressa invited to author a book on the Asian terrorism threat . May 6, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111004221025/http://www.pvtr.org/pdf/MediaHighlights/MariaRessaInvitedToAuthorABookOnTheAsianTerrorismThreat.pdf . 4 October 2011 . dead .
- News: Palace: No media censorship on Rappler. The Manila Times. January 16, 2018.
- Web site: Maria Ressa . Spreading terror: From bin Laden to Facebook in Southeast Asia . Edition.cnn.com . December 11, 2018 . November 11, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181111173905/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/05/03/bin.laden.southeast.asia/ . dead .
- News: Noynoy Flunks His First Test. Maria A.. Ressa. Wall Street Journal. September 6, 2010. June 15, 2020. www.wsj.com.
- Web site: 'Confluence of events' leads Philippine journalist Ressa to 'move on'. June 19, 2020. www.tmcnet.com.
- Web site: Maria Ressa's letter to ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs . October 11, 2010 . Abs-cbnnews.com . December 11, 2018.
- Web site: Katherine. Visconti. Changes at ABS-CBN: What Maria Ressa leaves behind. June 10, 2020. ABS-CBN News. November 2, 2010. en.
- News: Journalist and Kennedy School fellow Maria Ressa awarded Nobel Peace Prize. The Harvard Gazette. October 8, 2021.
- Book: Ressa, Maria. Seeds of terror: an eyewitness account of Al-Qaeda's newest center of operations in Southeast Asia. Free Press. 2003. 978-0743251334. New York. 53170118.
- Book: Ressa, Maria. From Bin Laden to Facebook: 10 days of abduction, 10 years of terrorism. World Scientific. 2013. 978-1908979551. Hackensack, NJ. 842932664.
- Book: Ressa, Maria. HarperCollins . 978-0063257511 . New York . How to Stand Up To a Dictator. 2022 .
- Web site: Maria Ressa. June 19, 2020. International Center for Journalists. en.
- Web site: MovePH . Facebook . May 12, 2014.
- Web site: Ressa . Maria . About Rappler . Rappler . August 20, 2013 . August 4, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140804050841/http://www.rappler.com/index.php?view=article&id=385 . dead .
- News: Ellis-Petersen. Hannah. Ratcliffe. Rebecca. June 15, 2020. Maria Ressa: everything you need to know about the Rappler editor. en-GB. The Guardian. June 19, 2020. 0261-3077.
- Web site: While Facebook works to create an oversight board, industry experts formed their own. NBC News. September 25, 2020 .
- News: Chua . Kyle . Maria Ressa among inaugural members of UN panel for internet policy . . August 17, 2022 . August 21, 2022.
- News: Feiner. Lauren. October 12, 2022. Facebook whistleblower, former defense and intel officials form group to fix social media. CNBC. October 12, 2022.
- Web site: Council for Responsible Social Media – Issue One. issueone.org. October 12, 2022.
- News: June 15, 2020. Who is Philippine news boss Maria Ressa?. en-GB. BBC News. June 19, 2020.
- Web site: Ressa. Maria A.. Duterte, his 6 contradictions and planned dictatorship. June 19, 2020. Rappler. October 26, 2015. en.
- Web site: SEC cancels Rappler's license to do business. June 19, 2020. cnn. en. June 20, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200620011936/https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2018/01/15/sec-revokes-rappler-license-to-operate.html. dead.
- Web site: June 15, 2020. Maria Ressa: everything you need to know about the Rappler editor. June 19, 2020. the Guardian. en.
- News: January 15, 2018. Philippine news site has licence revoked. en-GB. BBC News. June 19, 2020.
- News: Villanueva . Ralph Edwin . May 3, 2018 . Duterte: 'Anybody can criticize me, except foreigners' . en . October 11, 2021.
- News: January 22, 2018 . Harry reiterates Palace no hand in summons vs Rappler's Maria Ressa, 2 others . en . October 11, 2021.
- News: Lalu . Gabriel Pabico . May 15, 2020 . Monsod: Arrest of Duterte critic sans libel complaint illegal, unconstitutional . en . June 16, 2020.
- News: Marquez . Consuelo . May 14, 2020 . Man who called Duterte 'buang' on Facebook arrested for cyberlibel . en . June 16, 2020.
- News: Gotinga . J. C. . April 25, 2020 . DOLE asks Taiwan to deport OFW with Facebook posts criticizing Duterte . en . June 16, 2020.
- News: Rappler CEO Maria Ressa faces NBI over online libel complaint. cnn. March 1, 2018. en. March 3, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180303041334/http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2018/01/22/Rappler-CEO-Maria-Ressa-NBI-online-libel-complaint-cybercrime.html. dead.
- News: Agence France-Presse. July 9, 2019. Philippines: Amal Clooney to defend journalist Maria Ressa in press freedom fight. en-GB. The Guardian. June 17, 2020. 0261-3077.
- News: July 20, 2019. Lawyers' group denounces raps against members. June 19, 2020. ABS-CBN News. en.
- Web site: Buan. Lian. Dismiss cyber libel case vs Maria Ressa, Rappler – Te, FLAG. 2019-02-26.
- Web site: DOJ orders filing of charges vs. Rappler head, accountant. Pulta. Benjamin. www.pna.gov.ph. 9 November 2018.
- News: Canlas . Jomar . March 9, 2018 . Rappler Holdings charged with tax evasion . en . October 11, 2021.
- News: Philippines Says It Will Charge Veteran Journalist Critical of Duterte. Alexandra. Stevenson. The New York Times . November 9, 2018.
- Web site: The truth about Ressa and her vilification of Duterte. The Manila Times. February 20, 2019. June 15, 2020.
- Web site: Rappler: Tax case clear harassment, has no legal basis. Rappler.com. Rappler. November 9, 2018.
- Web site: Mike. Navallo. June 14, 2020. How correcting a typo got Maria into trouble: The cyberlibel case vs Rappler. June 14, 2020. ABS-CBN. en.
- News: hermesauto. February 13, 2019. Philippines arrests top journalist and Duterte critic Maria Ressa on libel charge. June 17, 2020. The Straits Times. en.
- Web site: Maria Ressa, journalist and Duterte critic, arrested in Philippines. Joshua Berlinger . Lauren Said-Moorhouse. CNN. February 13, 2019. February 13, 2019.
- News: Cabato . Regine . February 14, 2019 . Top Philippine journalist Maria Ressa released on bail after libel charges . en . June 17, 2020.
- Philippines Journalist Maria Ressa Released on Bail After Arrest for 'Cyber Libel'. Time. February 14, 2019. Hillary. Leung. February 15, 2019.
- News: Maria Ressa, head of Philippines news site Rappler, freed on bail. BBC News. February 14, 2019. February 15, 2019.
- News: Top Philippine journalist and Time person of the year arrested on libel charges. The Washington Post. Regine. Cabato. February 13, 2019. February 15, 2019.
- Web site: National Press Club: Ressa arrest 'smacks of bad taste,' but not harassment. philstar.com. February 17, 2019.
- News: Philippines libel trial of journalist critical of Rodrigo Duterte begins. correspondent. Hannah Ellis-Petersen south-east Asia. July 23, 2019. The Guardian. July 23, 2019. en-GB. 0261-3077.
- News: Gomez . Jim . Favila . Aaron . June 15, 2020 . Philippine journalist convicted of libel, given 6-year term . June 16, 2020.
- Web site: Coronel. Sheila. June 16, 2020. This Is How Democracy Dies. June 17, 2020. The Atlantic. en-US.
- News: Cabato . Regine . June 15, 2020 . Conviction of Maria Ressa, hard-hitting Philippine American journalist, sparks condemnation . en . The Washington Post . June 16, 2020.
- News: Gutierrez . Jason . Stevenson . Alexandra . June 15, 2020 . Maria Ressa, Crusading Journalist, Is Convicted in Philippines Libel Case . The New York Times . en-US . June 16, 2020.
- Web site: June 15, 2020. Philippines: Rappler Verdict a Blow to Media Freedom. June 16, 2020. Human Rights Watch. en.
- Web site: Quash Maria Ressa and Rey Santos' conviction in the Philippines. June 16, 2020. Amnesty International. June 15, 2020. en.
- Web site: June 15, 2020. Dismay over Philippine journalist Maria Ressa's prison sentence Reporters without borders. June 16, 2020. Reporters Without Borders. en.
- Web site: June 15, 2020. Dismay over Philippine journalist Maria Ressa's prison sentence Reporters without borders. June 17, 2020. RSF. en.
- Web site: The Democracy Report .
- News: January 17, 2023 . "Maria Ressa, Philippine Journalist and Nobel Laureate, Is Acquitted of Tax Evasion" . New York Times .
- News: 2023-01-18 . Maria Ressa: Philippine journalist cleared of tax evasion . en-GB . BBC News . 2023-01-18.
- Web site: 4 down, 3 to go: Cataloging Maria Ressa's legal battles in early 2023 . 2023-02-17 . International Journalists' Network . en.
- Web site: September 12, 2023 . Nobel laureate Maria Ressa acquitted in Philippines tax evasion case . 2023-10-30 . Al Jazeera . en.
- News: Laqui . Ian . SC allows UN expert to act as 'friend of the court' in Maria Ressa's cyber libel plea. March 25, 2024 . . March 25, 2024.
- News: Torres-Tupas . Tetch . UN rapporteur allowed as 'friend of court' in Ressa's cyber libel case . March 25, 2024 . . March 25, 2024.
- News: Laqui . Ian . CTA upholds acquittal of Ressa, Rappler in fifth tax case. July 21, 2024 . The Philippine Star. July 21, 2024.
- Web site: Lungay. G. J. Maria Ressa – Achievements. Prezi.com. September 27, 2013.
- Web site: Local Female Leaders. Islands Society. October 7, 2015. October 17, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151017234735/http://islandssociety.org/projects/global-projects/local-female-leaders/. dead.
- Web site: Maria Ressa—The Sexiest Woman Alive Atlas . Esquire.com . October 11, 2010 . December 11, 2018.
- News: Rappler CEO Maria Ressa gets lifetime achievement award at PMPC Star Awards. Rappler. October 31, 2018.
- News: Poyen . Ramos . 8 Most Influential and Powerful Women Leaders. Kalibrr Blog . March 7, 2016.
- News: 2017 Democracy Dinner Explores the Global Threat of Disinformation . November 2, 2017. March 1, 2018. en.
- Web site: ICFJ. Digital News Trailblazers from the Philippines and Venezuela to Receive Top International Journalism Award. June 19, 2020. International Center for Journalists. en.
- News: Albeanu . Catalina . Maria Ressa, executive editor of Rappler, receives Golden Pen of Freedom . June 8, 2018 . Journalism.co.uk . June 7, 2018.
- Web site: Maria Ressa. June 23, 2020. Committee to Protect Journalists. en-US.
- News: Metro News Today: Rappler's Maria Ressa among TIME's Person of the Year 2018. League Online News. December 12, 2018.
- News: Karl . Vick . TIME Person of the Year 2018: The Guardians . Time . December 11, 2018 . December 11, 2018.
- Web site: Cepeda. Maria. Robredo: Maria Ressa, Bishop David prove human rights worth fighting for. 2019-02-26.
- Maria Ressa: The 100 Most Influential People of 2019. TIME. June 15, 2020.
- Web site: Maria Ressa, Investigative Journalist and CEO of Rappler, To Receive The Columbia Journalism Award | Columbia Journalism School. June 15, 2020. December 23, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191223213724/https://journalism.columbia.edu/Maria-Ressa-2019-Graduation. dead.
- Web site: Canadian Journalism Foundation to recognize embattled journalist Maria Ressa with Tribute honour. Canadian Journalism Foundation. www.newswire.ca. June 15, 2020.
- Web site: BBC 100 Women 2019: Who is on the list this year?. BBC News. October 16, 2019.
- News: April 27, 2021. Embattled Philippine journalist wins UN press prize. Yahoo! News. Agence France-Presse. April 27, 2021. April 27, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210427162819/https://au.news.yahoo.com/embattled-philippine-journalist-wins-un-161430616.html. dead.
- Web site: Nobel Prize laureate and Canadian country music industry builder are MacEwan University honorary doctorate recipients . macewan.ca . November 16, 2022.
- Web site: Aronson . Emily . Nobel laureate Maria Ressa, composer Julia Wolfe and student award winners honored at Princeton Alumni Day . 2024-05-11 . Princeton.edu . en.
- Web site: Maria Ressa tells Ateneo grads: Draw the line, embrace fear, beware the mob. rappler.com . June 30, 2023.
- Web site: Nobel Prize-Winning Journalist Maria Ressa Named Harvard 2024 Commencement Speaker. thecrimson.com . March 19, 2024.
- DeGuzman . Chad . 2024-05-06 . Maria Ressa Denies Antisemitism Accusation Ahead of Harvard Commencement Address . 2024-05-11 . TIME . en.
- Web site: Shah . Neil H. . 2024-05-24 . Rabbi Zarchi Confronted Maria Ressa, Walked Off Stage Over Her Harvard Commencement Speech . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20240525161112/https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2024/5/24/zarchi-confronts-maria-ressa-harvard-commencement/ . 2024-05-25 . 2024-05-25 . The Harvard Crimson.
- https://forward.com/news/616618/harvard-commencement-maria-ressa-antisemitism/
- News: Cannes Lions honours Maria Ressa as its 2024 Cannes LionHeart. May 9, 2024 . Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. May 9, 2024.
- News: Flere fredsprisforslag før fristen gikk ut . . . January 31, 2021.
- News: Hektisk nomineringsaktivitet før fredsprisfrist . . January 31, 2021.
- Web site: October 8, 2021. The Nobel Peace Prize 2021. NobelPrize.org. en-US.
- Web site: December 30, 2021. Aronson-Rath. Raney. We Will 'Hold the Line': A Year-End Message from FRONTLINE's Executive Producer. January 18, 2022. FRONTLINE. en-US.
- Web site: 2022-12-12 . Lesbian, Bisexual Scientists Receive Nobel Prizes . 2022-12-13 . www.advocate.com . en.
- https://www.timesofisrael.com/nobel-laureate-accused-of-employing-antisemitic-trope-in-harvard-commencement-speech/
- Web site: Guzman . Chad de . 2024-05-06 . Maria Ressa Denies Antisemitism Accusation Ahead of Harvard Commencement Address . 2024-07-03 . TIME . en.
- Web site: 2024-05-28 . Stefanik Blasts Harvard and 2024 Commencement Speaker for Antisemitism . 2024-07-03 . Congresswoman Elise Stefanik . en.