Maria Ressa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maria Ressa
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Ressa at the International Journalism Festival in 2024
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Maria Angelita Delfin Aycardo
October 2, 1963 Manila, Philippines
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| Known for | Co-founding Rappler |
Maria Angelita Ressa (born October 2, 1963) is a brave Filipino and American journalist. She is famous for co-founding and leading Rappler, an online news website. Before that, she worked for nearly 20 years as a top investigative reporter for CNN in Southeast Asia. She also teaches at Columbia University.
Maria Ressa was born in Manila, Philippines. She grew up in Toms River, New Jersey, in the United States. In 2018, Time magazine named her one of their "Persons of the Year." This was because she and other journalists fought against fake news.
In 2019, she faced legal challenges in the Philippines. This happened after Rappler published a news story that some people said was false. Many people, including human rights groups, saw this as an attack on press freedom. Maria Ressa often spoke out against the government at the time. Because of this, many believed her legal issues were politically motivated.
Maria Ressa is a leading voice for freedom of expression. In 2021, she won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. She shared the award with Dmitry Muratov. They received it for their important work to protect freedom of speech. This freedom is key for democracy and lasting peace.
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Early Life and Education
Maria Ressa was born in Manila in October 1963. Her father passed away when she was very young. She first went to school in Manila. When she was ten, she moved to New Jersey, USA, with her mother and stepfather. She learned English there and became a strong student.
Maria Ressa attended Toms River High School North. She was active in theater and student government. She then went to Princeton University. She graduated with honors in English in 1986. After that, she received a special scholarship called a Fulbright Fellowship. This allowed her to study political theater in the Philippines. She also taught journalism classes there.
Maria Ressa's Career in Journalism
Maria Ressa started her career at a government TV station. In 1987, she helped start an independent TV company called Probe. At the same time, she worked for CNN as their bureau chief in Manila. She held this role until 1995.
From 1995 to 2005, she led CNN's office in Jakarta, Indonesia. She became known for her deep investigations into terrorist groups in Asia. She also worked as a writer at a research center in Singapore.
From 2004, Maria Ressa led the news division of ABS-CBN, a major Philippine media company. She also wrote for CNN and The Wall Street Journal. In 2010, she wrote an article for The Wall Street Journal. It discussed how the president at the time handled a bus hostage crisis. She left ABS-CBN later that year.
Maria Ressa is now a fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She also works at Harvard Kennedy School. At Columbia University, she leads projects about how artificial intelligence (AI) affects democracy. In 2023, she joined the board of directors for The Intercept.
Books by Maria Ressa
Maria Ressa has written three books. They are about the rise of terrorism in Southeast Asia. Her books include Seeds of Terror (2003) and From Bin Laden to Facebook (2013). Her most recent book is How to Stand Up To a Dictator (2022).
Teaching and Mentoring
Maria Ressa has shared her knowledge by teaching. She has taught courses on politics and the press in Southeast Asia. She taught these at Princeton University. She also taught broadcast journalism at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Founding Rappler
Maria Ressa co-founded Rappler in 2012. She started it with three other women and a small team of journalists. Rappler began as a Facebook page in 2011. It then grew into a full website in 2012.
Rappler became one of the first online news sites in the Philippines. It quickly became a major source of news. The website has won many awards both locally and internationally. Maria Ressa is the Executive Editor and CEO of Rappler.
"Real Content Oversight Board"
In 2020, Maria Ressa became a member of the "Real Facebook Oversight Board." This is an independent group. It watches how Facebook manages its content. It also comments on Facebook's role in public life.
UN Internet Governance Forum
In 2022, Maria Ressa was chosen for a leadership panel. This panel supports the United Nations' Internet Governance Forum. This is an annual meeting. It focuses on important issues related to the internet.
Awards and Special Recognition
Maria Ressa has received many awards for her journalism. She was nominated for an Emmy for investigative journalism. She also won the Asian Television Awards.
- In 2015, she received a Lifetime Achievement award for broadcasting.
- In 2016, she was named one of the most influential leaders in the Philippines.
- In 2017, Rappler received the Democracy Award. This award recognized their fight for facts against false information.
- In 2018, she won the Knight International Journalism Award. This award honored her courage in reporting on important issues.
- She also received the Golden Pen of Freedom Award in 2018. This was for her work with Rappler.
- In November 2018, she won the Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award. This recognized her bravery despite challenges.
- In December 2018, Time magazine included her as one of "The Guardians." These journalists were fighting the "War on Truth."
- In 2019, she received the Ka Pepe Diokno Human Rights Award.
- In April 2019, Time also listed her among the 100 Most Influential People in the World.
- In May 2019, she won the Columbia Journalism Award. This is the highest honor from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. It recognized her deep work and courage.
- In June 2019, she received the Canadian Journalism Foundation's Tribute honour. This award celebrates journalists who make a global impact.
- In October 2019, she was named one of the BBC's 100 Women.
- In April 2021, she won the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
- In 2022, she received an honorary degree from MacEwan University in Canada.
- In February 2022, she received Princeton University's highest alumni honor, the Woodrow Wilson Award.
- In 2023, she received an honorary degree from the Ateneo de Manila University.
- In 2024, she was the commencement speaker at Harvard University. She spoke about the challenges to democracy.
- She is also the 2024 Cannes LionHeart recipient.
Nobel Peace Prize
Maria Ressa was nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. On October 8, 2021, she was announced as a winner. She shared the prize with Dmitry Muratov from Russia. They won for their efforts to protect freedom of expression. This freedom is very important for democracy and lasting peace. Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov are the first journalists to win the Nobel Peace Prize since 1935.
Published Works
- From Bin Laden to Facebook: 10 Days of Abduction, 10 Years of Terrorism. Imperial College Press. 2013. ISBN 978-1908979537.
Other Activities
In October 2024, Maria Ressa spoke about the 2024 United States elections. She saw them as a key moment for democracy. She believes that media based on facts is important to rebuild trust in public institutions.
See also
In Spanish: María Ressa para niños
- Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 – a law related to online activities
- List of Nobel laureates
- We Hold the Line, a 2020 documentary film about journalism in the Philippines, featuring Maria Ressa.
- A Thousand Cuts, a 2020 documentary film about Maria Ressa's work.
- 2073, a 2024 British documentary film
