Maria Ressa: Freedom and Fakery in the Philippines Today

Maria Ressa is a veteran investigative journalist and the CEO of the influential Philippine news portal Rappler. In June this year, she and a colleague were found guilty of cyberlibel, in a dubious court decision that many believe was politically motivated.
Ressa has been a dogged and long-time critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, and of his supporters. The relationship between Ressa, as a journalist, and Duterte, as a political figure, dates back to the 1980s, but after Duterte’s election in 2016, Rappler ran a series of stories about his active online ‘troll army’ and the fake news stories they were circulating, and earned the ire of the Duterte administration.
In the lead-up to the Day of the Imprisoned Writer, we’ll present the indomitable Ressa in conversation with Fatima Measham, with an introduction by PEN Sydney president Mark Isaacs. Ressa will discuss technology’s impact on democracy and the implications of her own case for freedom of speech today.
Presented in partnership with PEN Sydney, Melbourne and Perth and the Copyright Agency. Help support PEN’s campaigns to defend persecuted and imprisoned writers.
Featuring
Featuring

The CEO and Executive Editor of Rappler.com, Maria is one of the founders of the six-year-old company, one of the leading online news organisations in the Philippines.Maria has been honored around the world for her courageous and bold work in fighting disinformation, ‘fake news’ and atte... Read more

Fatima Measham is a writer and speaker living west of the Werribee River on Wadawurrung country. Her recent work focuses on nature, conservation, and the tensions inherent in our claims of love for animals. She is also a conservation volunteer. She was formerly a consulting editor, columnist and pod... Read more

Mark Isaacs is a writer, a researcher, a photographer and a community worker. Mark is president of PEN Sydney, an affiliate of PEN International, a worldwide association of writers which defends freedom of expression and campaigns on behalf of writers who have been silenced by persecution or impriso... Read more
Watch, Listen, Read

Watch
The Coal Conundrum: A Hypothetical
4 Jul 2022

Listen
The Maternal Question
22 Jun 2022

Read
Hot Desk Extract: three approaches to mem*ry
20 Jun 2022

Watch
Reading with Consent
14 Jun 2022

Watch
Teens Talk... Consent
14 Jun 2022

Read
Paul Dalla Rosa on An Exciting and Vivid Inner Life
10 Jun 2022