Maria Ressa: podcast appearances and interviews

Maria Angelita Ressa is a Filipino and American journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Rappler, a digital media company. Ressa previously worked as a lead investigative reporter in Southeast Asia for CNN for nearly twenty years. She has served as a distinguished fellow at Columbia University's Institute of Global Politics since 2023 and became a professor of professional practice at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs in July 2024. Born in Manila and raised in Toms River, New Jersey, her work has garnered international recognition, including her inclusion in Time magazine's Person of the Year 2018 issue featuring journalists fighting misinformation. Ressa has been a vocal critic of the Philippine government and faced legal actions, including her arrest in February 2019 for cyberlibel, which was later followed by a conviction in June 2020 under the country's Anti-Cybercrime law. Her arrest and conviction drew criticism from human rights organizations and the international community, who viewed them as political acts aimed at silencing her. She is actively involved in efforts to promote press freedom and democracy; she is one of the 25 leading figures on the Information and Democracy Commission launched by Reporters Without Borders. In 2021, she was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Dmitry Muratov for their efforts to uphold freedom of expression, an essential element for democracy and peace.