Photo: Jaramo81 / CC BY 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Ressa is one of the bravest figures in modern journalism, full stop. Watching her keep Rappler reporting while facing a stack of cyber-libel charges and the constant threat of prison was a masterclass in moral courage, and the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize felt like the world finally catching up to what she had been warning about. Her central argument, that social media platforms weaponize disinformation and corrode democracy, has only looked more prescient over time. Her memoir How to Stand Up to a Dictator should be required reading. She makes press freedom feel like the urgent frontline fight it actually is.
Overview
Maria Ressa (born October 2, 1963) is a Filipino-American journalist, author, and co-founder of the news website Rappler. A former CNN bureau chief in Manila and Jakarta, she became internationally known for Rappler's investigative reporting on disinformation and on the Philippine government under President Rodrigo Duterte, which led to a series of legal cases against her. In 2021 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, shared with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, for efforts to safeguard freedom of expression.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Maria Ressa
- Name (Japanese)
- マリア・レッサ
- Reading
- まりあ・れっさ
- Born
- October 2, 1963 (age 62)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Rabbit
- Origin
- Manila, Philippines
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- Journalist / Editor / University professor
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Toms River High School North
- University
- Princeton University
Awards & achievements
- 2019 BBC 100 Women
- Fulbright Program
- 2021 Nobel Peace Prize
- 2020 Kurt Tucholsky Prize
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Journalist — see all → · Editor — see all → · More people from Philippines →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.