Maria Angelita Ressa (Tagalog pronunciation:[ˈɾesa]; born Maria Angelita Delfin Aycardo on October 2, 1963) is a Filipino and American journalist. She is the co-founder and CEO of Rappler.[1] She previously spent nearly two decades working as a lead investigative reporter in Southeast Asia for CNN.[2] She is a Professor of Professional Practice in the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and has been a Distinguished Fellow at Columbia's new Institute of Global Politics since fall of 2023.[3]
Ressa was born in Manila and raised in Toms River, New Jersey. She was included in Time'sPerson 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[4][5] under the controversial Anti-Cybercrime law,[6][7] a move condemned by human rights groups and journalists as an attack on press freedom.[8][9][10] As she is a prominent critic of the then Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, her arrest and conviction was seen by many in the opposition and the international community as a politically motivated act by Duterte's government.[11][12][13] Ressa is one of the 25 leading figures on the Information and Democracy Commission launched by Reporters Without Borders.[14] 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."[15][16][17]