Groundbreaking Philippine Editor Challenges Tech Giants to Protect the Public Sphere

By: ICFJ | 11/09/2018
Maria Ressa Accepts 2018 Knight Award

Maria Ressa, whose trailblazing news site is under constant threat for speaking truth to power in her native Philippines, says social media giants that have been used to spread lies have a responsibility to protect the public sphere.

In Washington to accept the prestigious Knight International Journalism Award, Ressa criticized both the Philippines government and global tech companies for harming democracy and threatening news organizations such as Rappler, which she founded seven years ago after a long career at CNN.

Rappler, a popular online news site, has been at the forefront of both investigative journalism and media innovation. Its coverage of disinformation campaigns and tens of thousands of extrajudicial killings in the government’s war on drugs have made Rappler a target of official attacks.

Ressa said that Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was using the same playbook as Donald Trump in his attacks on the press by banning reporters and labeling critical stories fake news. “Our problems are fast becoming your problems. Boundaries around the world have collapsed,” she said.

“We battle impunity from the Philippine government and from Facebook. Both seed violence, fear, and lies that poison our democracy,” she said. “Those lies on social media form the basis of the government’s many legal cases against us.”

Ressa issued a challenge to social media giants, noting that 90 percent of new digital ads went to Google and Facebook in 2017, with more expected in 2018. “Now the social media tech giants are the world’s largest distributor of news. Yet, they shy away from the responsibilities that come with that – and that has global impact: allowing authoritarian-style leaders to use their platforms to cripple trust, remold truth, and consolidate their power.”

She urged the tech companies to “consider making the same tough business decisions our little company made to protect the public sphere and to ensure democracy survives.”

She also urged journalists to stay the course. “Without hope, we have no energy to move forward. We have to take the long view, work together and know we are not alone. This is a global battle.”

Latest News

ICFJ se Suma a Otras 9 Organizaciones Internacionales Para Presentar un Amicus Curiae en el Caso del Periodista Guatemalteco Encarcelado José Rubén Zamora

Un grupo de 10 organizaciones internacionales presentó esta semana un amicus curiae ante la Corte Suprema de Justicia de Guatemala en el caso del periodista José Rubén Zamora Marroquín. El amicus, presentado el 26 de marzo, argumenta que el retorno de Zamora a prisión preventiva constituye una violación de sus derechos fundamentales bajo el derecho guatemalteco e internacional, e insta a la Corte a otorgar un recurso de amparo pendiente y permitir que el Sr. Zamora lleve su proceso bajo medidas sustitutivas.

ICFJ Joins 9 Other International Organizations in Submitting Amicus Brief in Case of Imprisoned Guatemalan Journalist José Rubén Zamora

A group of 10 international organizations submitted an amicus curiae brief to Guatemala’s Supreme Court in the case of journalist José Rubén Zamora Marroquín. The brief, filed on March 26, argues that Zamora’s return to preventive detention constitutes a violation of his fundamental rights under Guatemalan and international law, and urges the Court to grant a pending amparo appeal and allow Zamora to return to house arrest.

Press Freedom on Campus: Why it Matters and What Student Journalists Need Most

In February, ICFJ partnered with Vanderbilt University and Freedom Forum, with support from the Lumina Foundation, to bring university faculty and students, international and U.S. journalists, and media leaders together for a discussion about the importance of press freedom in democratic societies. Participants stressed how U.S.-based journalists can learn from the experiences of their colleagues abroad, and they dived into the challenges campus reporters face, such as a lack of funding and harassment from fellow students, offered advice for engaging audiences, and more.