CEO of Rappler, Journalist, Author, Freedom Advocate and 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Maria Ressa
Speaking Fee: $75,000 to $100,000
Travels From:
Primary Topic Category: Journalists / News Media / Global Outlook / Current Events
Secondary Topic Category: Philanthropy
Maria Ressa At A Glance:
Maria Ressa is the co-founder, CEO of Rappler.com, an online news organization in the Philippines. Maria’s courage and work on disinformation and ‘fake news’ culminated in being awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.” Her numerous awards include being named Time’s 2018 Person of the Year and listed among its 100 Most Influential People of 2019.
Maria advises organizations and corporations on corporate governance, values, and strategy. Her experience as a journalist and an entrepreneur in the digital world makes her a sought-after keynote speaker and panelist.
A journalist for over 36 years, Maria has been arrested on 10 charges related to exposing the Duterte government’s corrupt practices and was convicted of cyber-libel in June. She is out on bail pending her appeal but true to form, Ressa, vows to keep fighting.
Maria was featured in the 2020 documentary “A Thousand Cuts,” which profiles her fearless reporting on the abuses of Duterte’s presidency, while also illustrating social media’s capacity to deceive and entrench political power.
Maria now travels the world speaking to organizations of all kinds on freedom of the press, democracy, and corporate governance.
Maria Ressa is the co-founder, CEO of Rappler.com, an online news organization in the Philippines. Maria’s courage and work on disinformation and ‘fake news’ culminated in being awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.” Her numerous awards include being named Time’s 2018 Person of the Year and listed among its 100 Most Influential People of 2019. She has also been named one of Time’s 100 Women of the Year, BBC’s 100 Women 2019, and Prospect Magazine’s world’s top 50 thinkers 2019.
Maria advises organizations and corporations on corporate governance, values, and strategy. Her experience as a journalist and an entrepreneur in the digital world makes her a sought-after keynote speaker and panelist.
A journalist for over 36 years, Ressa was CNN’s bureau chief in Manila, before working as CNN’s lead investigative reporter focusing on terrorism in Jakarta. In 2012, she co-founded Rappler, an online news platform with an ethos of a small tech start-up, starting with a team of 12 young reporters and developers. Through the power of social media, Rappler has grown into the fourth-largest news website in the Philippines with over 100 journalists. Maria has been arrested on 10 charges related to exposing the Duterte government’s corrupt practices and was convicted of cyber-libel in June. She is out on bail pending her appeal but true to form, Ressa, vows to keep fighting.
More recently, Maria is part of the founding group of The Real Facebook Oversight Board – composed of 25 academics, journalists, and activists that will rival the social media platform’s board.
Maria authored Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of Al-Qaeda’s Newest Center of Operations in Southeast Asia and From Bin Laden to Facebook.
Maria was featured in the 2020 documentary “A Thousand Cuts,” which profiles her fearless reporting on the abuses of Duterte’s presidency, while also illustrating social media’s capacity to deceive and entrench political power.Ressa has vowed to keep fighting and to continue Rappler’s journalism.
