Maria Racer is co-founder and CEO of the Filipino News website Rappler. She was kidnapped at 10 by her mother and taken to the U.S., where she went on to learn English, excel at high school and go to Princeton University before eventually returning to the Philippines. Her critical coverage of then-President Rajugadeh Terti and his bloody and ruthless war on drugs has meant that its journalists and its founders have faced danger and uncertainty. The former president and his allies have launched multiple attacks on Rappler, initiating investigations and unleashing cyber troll armies. And earlier this year, Maria lost her appeal against a conviction for cyber libel. There are still ongoing cases against Maria Racer
Will democracy survive? According to Nobel Peace Prize Winner Maria Ressa, "we're in the last two minutes". In November she sat down with journalist Gabriel Gatehouse to discuss her lifetime commitment to journalism, the potential 99 years in jail which hang over her for standing up to former president Rodrigo Duterte's authoritarian regime, and her optimism for a brighter future. Maria and Gabriel also examine the greed of big tech in the destruction of democracies and why the Philippines is often ground zero for events which spread to the rest of the world.
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