Maria Ressa

Maria Angelita Ressa (Tagalog pronunciation: [ˈɾesa]; née Delfin Aycardo; born October 2, 1963) is a Filipino and American journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She is the co-founder and CEO of Rappler. She previously spent nearly two decades working as a lead investigative reporter in Southeast Asia for CNN. She has been a distinguished fellow at Columbia University's new Institute of Global Politics since 2023 and a professor of professional practice in Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs since July 2024. Ressa was born in Manila and raised in Toms River, New Jersey. She was included in Time's 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 under the controversial Anti-Cybercrime law, a move condemned by human rights groups and journalists as an attack on press freedom. As a prominent critic of the then Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, her arrest and conviction were seen by many in the opposition and the international community as a politically motivated act. Ressa is one of the 25 leading figures on the Information and Democracy Commission launched by Reporters Without Borders. 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."