Nobel Prize lecture by Maria Ressa Summary and Question Answers

 

Maria Ressa won the Nobel Prize for peace on 10 December 2021 . She spoke as a representative of journalists across the world who risk their lives to tell the truth.

Tribute to Journalists and Human Rights activists 

Ressa began her speech by remembering journalists like Jamal Khashoggi and Daphne Caruana Galizia, who were killed for their work. She also mentioned journalists imprisoned or forced to flee their countries. She thanked global human rights groups and the #HoldTheLine coalition(union) that support press freedom.

In the Philippines, many lawyers, human rights activists, and journalists have been killed or jailed since 2016, including Senator Leila de Lima. The government has also silenced major media houses like ABS-CBN (Corporation is a Filipino media company) .

Creation of Rappler

Maria Ressa co-founded Rappler, a digital news platform, to connect journalism and technology. She described these as two sides of a coin: journalism seeks truth, while technology, misused, spreads lies and hate. The internet has allowed false information to divide people and empower dictators.

Need for Truth and Goodness

Ressa said the greatest need today is to stop hate and violence spread online. She urged people to “believe there is good in the world” and to work for truth and compassion. Despite facing dangers, she has seen humanity’s kindness during disasters and crises, which she believes represents the best in human nature.

Nobel Prize Significance

The last journalist to receive this prize was Carl von Ossietzky in 1936, who died in a Nazi camp. Ressa said this new recognition shows that democracy again faces a critical moment. Many journalists continue to suffer without public support, while technology has worsened their struggles.

Ressa’s Personal Struggles

The Philippine government filed ten arrest warrants against her in less than two years. She was convicted of cyber libel and may face up to 100 years in prison. But the attacks only strengthened her resolve to fight for truth and free journalism.

Her Code of Ethics

Ressa said journalism is guided by a code of honor. She added her personal values — integrity, gratitude (utang na loob), and responsibility. She also warned that gender-based disinformation has become a new threat to women and LGBTQ+ journalists, causing serious mental and physical harm.

The Global Problem

Ressa identified two main forms of impunity(exemption from punishment:)

1. Political impunity — governments using violence and lies without punishment.

2. Technological impunity — social media companies spreading hate and misinformation for profit.

She reminded the world that “online violence is real-world violence.” Social media uses people’s private data for profit, manipulates behaviour, and weakens human freedom and democracy. Lies travel faster than truth, and this has created deep divisions worldwide.

Collapse of Truth and Trust

Ressa warned that when facts disappear, truth and trust collapse. Without trust, societies cannot solve global issues like climate change, pandemics, or political crises. She said the loss of integrity in facts destroys democracy itself.

Examples of Manipulation

She shared examples from the Philippines and other countries:

The Marcos family used social media to rewrite history and promote political power.

Fake accounts and AI-generated images were used to spread propaganda.

This shows how disinformation works both locally and globally to shape elections and public opinion.

Ressa compared the crisis in information to an “invisible atom bomb.” She called for new global institutions and laws — like the United Nations and Universal Declaration of Human Rights after World War II — to protect truth and humanity in the digital age.

Restoring Facts and Journalism

To rebuild democracy, Ressa urged:

Protection for journalists from state attacks.

Financial support for independent journalism through international funds.

Regulation of social media companies that profit from hate and lies.

She co-chairs the International Fund for Public Interest Media to raise global aid for journalism, especially in developing countries.

Role of Technology

Journalists should also learn to use technology ethically. With the help of the Google News Initiative, Rappler built a new platform that promotes facts and communities of action rather than viral misinformation. Technology, if used responsibly, can serve truth and democracy.

Defending Democracy and Values

Ressa said democracy now depends on individuals — each person must defend truth and moral values. The world stands at a “sliding door moment” — one path leads to fascism, the other to freedom. Everyone must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for truth.

Maria Ressa lives under constant threat of imprisonment, but she believes the fight is worth it. She ended her speech with hope — urging everyone to imagine and build a world based on peace, trust, and empathy.

Her final words were a powerful call:

 “Now let’s go and make it happen. Let’s hold the line. Together.”