Nobel Prize lecture: Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize 2021

Summary

Maria Ressa, a journalist and 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, delivers a powerful speech highlighting the plight of journalists worldwide who risk their lives to report the truth. She addresses the alarming rise of disinformation, its impact on democracy, and the role of technology in spreading lies. Ressa calls for a global response to protect press freedom, uphold facts, and combat the divisiveness fueled by social media platforms prioritizing profit over truth. She urges individuals to consider what they are willing to sacrifice for truth and to envision a world built on peace, trust, and empathy.

Takeaways

• 📢 Maria Ressa emphasizes the importance of journalism in upholding truth and holding power accountable, despite the significant sacrifices made by journalists worldwide.
• 😔 She recounts the tragic fates of several journalists, including Jamal Khashoggi and Daphne Caruana Galizia, highlighting the dangers faced by those who seek to report the truth.
• 👥 Ressa acknowledges the efforts of the Hold the Line Coalition and human rights groups in defending press freedom and the costs they bear, including the killing of lawyers in the Philippines.
• 🌐 She discusses the dual threat posed by the absence of law and the rise of technology, which has amplified the spread of lies and divisiveness, contributing to the rise of authoritarianism.
• 🔍 Ressa calls for a transformation of the current information ecosystem, which is prioritized by American internet companies that profit from hate and violence.
• 💡 She shares her personal experiences and the resilience of Rappler, a news organization she helped create, in the face of government attacks and the importance of community support.
• 🚫 Ressa warns of the dangers of disinformation, particularly its impact on women, and calls for immediate action to tackle this growing threat.
• 🌐 She connects the local issues in the Philippines with global concerns, such as the role of social media in spreading lies and the real-world consequences of online violence.
• 🛡️ Ressa advocates for the protection of journalists, the regulation of surveillance economics, and the need for a new multilateral approach to restore facts and democracy in the information ecosystem.
• 🌟 She concludes with a call to action, urging everyone to imagine and work towards a better world, one that prioritizes peace, trust, and empathy.

Q & A

Who is Maria Ressa and what is her significance in the context of the speech?

Maria Ressa is a journalist and the co-founder of Rappler, a news website in the Philippines. She is significant because she represents journalists worldwide who are fighting for press freedom and are under threat for holding power accountable.

What is the 'Hold the Line Coalition' mentioned in the speech?

The 'Hold the Line Coalition' is a group of over 80 global organizations that defend press freedom and work to ensure the safety of journalists.

Why is Maria Ressa particularly concerned about the rise of authoritarians and dictators?

Maria Ressa is concerned about the rise of authoritarians and dictators because they often suppress press freedom, manipulate information, and use technology to spread lies, which can lead to the erosion of democracy and human rights.

What is the connection between technology and the spread of lies as mentioned in the speech?

Technology, particularly social media platforms, has been used to amplify lies and misinformation, which can pit people against each other and create an environment conducive to the rise of authoritarian regimes.

How does Maria Ressa describe the impact of lies and hate on society?

Maria Ressa describes the impact of lies and hate as a 'toxic sludge' that is coursing through the information ecosystem, prioritizing the spread of negativity and divisiveness, which can lead to real-world violence and the undermining of democracy.

What is the significance of the 'old gatekeepers' and 'new gatekeepers' in the context of journalism?

The 'old gatekeepers' refer to traditional media institutions that controlled the flow of information, while the 'new gatekeepers' are technology companies with immense power to shape public opinion, often prioritizing engagement over accuracy.

Why does Maria Ressa emphasize the importance of facts and truth in journalism?

Maria Ressa emphasizes the importance of facts and truth because they are the foundations of trust and shared reality, which are essential for a functioning democracy. Without them, societies cannot effectively address existential problems.

What is the role of gender disinformation in the current media landscape according to Maria Ressa?

Gender disinformation is a significant threat that targets women, girls, trans, and LGBTQ+ individuals, affecting their mental health and physical safety. It is a form of hate that needs to be tackled urgently.

How does Maria Ressa view the role of technology companies in the current information ecosystem?

Maria Ressa views technology companies as having a profound influence on the information ecosystem, often prioritizing profit over facts and truth, which can lead to the spread of hate, lies, and divisiveness.

What solutions does Maria Ressa propose to combat the challenges faced by journalism and democracy?

Maria Ressa proposes a multifaceted approach that includes restoring facts, rebuilding journalism for the 21st century, regulating surveillance economics, providing greater protection for journalists, and addressing the advertising model of journalism.

Outlines

00:00

📢 Standing for Journalistic Integrity

The speaker, Maria Ressa, begins by expressing gratitude to the Nobel Committee and acknowledges the presence of esteemed guests. She then proceeds to represent journalists worldwide who risk their lives to uphold the truth and hold power accountable. Ressa recounts the tragic fates of fellow journalists like Jamal Khashoggi and Daphne Caruana Galizia, emphasizing the dangers faced by those in the profession. She also mentions the support from organizations like the Hold the Line Coalition and the personal cost of her work, including the imprisonment of lawyers and colleagues. Ressa highlights the dual threat to democracy posed by the absence of law and the unchecked power of technology companies, which she比喻为'god-like' gatekeepers spreading lies and hate. She concludes the paragraph by urging a transformation of the current information ecosystem and the need for greater effort to promote good in the world.

05:00

🌎 The Courage to Confront Challenges

Maria Ressa continues her speech by discussing the support she has received from individuals who, despite the risks, choose to help journalists. She emphasizes the importance of this support in a world often dominated by fear and violence. Ressa then reflects on the historical significance of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize as a journalist, drawing a parallel to Carl von Ossietzky, who was unable to accept his award due to his imprisonment by the Nazis. She underscores the urgency of the current moment for democracy and the need for journalists to have exposure and support, especially when facing persecution. Ressa shares her personal experiences of being targeted by the government in the Philippines, including arrest warrants and legal battles, which have only strengthened her resolve. She calls for a reimagining of the world, one that is more compassionate, equal, and sustainable, and challenges the audience to consider what they are willing to sacrifice for the truth.

10:00

🛡️ Defending Truth in the Age of Disinformation

In this paragraph, Maria Ressa delves into the dangers of social media as a tool for power and profit, criticizing the surveillance capitalism model that exploits personal data. She describes how social media platforms have become a battleground for truth, with lies and anger spreading more rapidly than facts. Ressa argues that these platforms, particularly Facebook, have become the largest distributors of news while also being biased against factual content. She discusses the impact of this on democracy and the rise of authoritarianism, using the January 6th Capitol Hill violence as an example of online violence translating into real-world consequences. Ressa calls for a reevaluation of the role of technology in society and the need for a multilateral approach to address the misinformation crisis.

15:01

🌟 Vision for a Fact-Based Future

Maria Ressa outlines a vision for restoring the importance of facts in our information ecosystems. She calls for a shift in social priorities to support journalism and regulate the harmful practices of surveillance economics. Ressa emphasizes the need to protect journalists, reform the advertising model that sustains journalism, and embrace technology that promotes truth and trust. She discusses legislative actions like the EU's Democracy Action Plan and the potential for reform in the U.S. to address the power of social media platforms. Ressa concludes by urging individuals to take a stand for democracy and to fight for a better world, asking what each person is willing to sacrifice for the truth.

20:05

🙏 A Call to Collective Action

The final paragraph is a call to action, encouraging the audience to imagine a world of peace, trust, and empathy. Ressa asks everyone to close their eyes and envision this ideal world before urging them to open their eyes and take action to make it a reality. She ends her speech with a powerful message of unity and the necessity of holding the line together to build the world we want.

Keywords

💡Journalist

A journalist is a person who collects, writes, and distributes news and other information. In the context of the video, journalists are portrayed as individuals who risk their safety and freedom to uphold the truth and hold power accountable. The speaker, Maria Ressa, represents journalists worldwide and emphasizes the sacrifices they make to report the truth, as illustrated by the mention of Jamal Khashoggi and Daphne Caruana Galizia.

💡Press Freedom

Press freedom refers to the ability of journalists to report the news without censorship or restraint. The video discusses the importance of press freedom and the threats it faces globally, with the speaker highlighting the work of the 'Hold the Line Coalition' and other human rights groups in defending this fundamental right.

💡Surveillance Capitalism

Surveillance capitalism is a term used to describe the economic system in which data about individuals is collected, aggregated, and monetized. In the video, the speaker criticizes this system for exploiting personal information and contributing to the spread of misinformation, which undermines democracy and journalistic integrity.

💡Disinformation

Disinformation is false information that is deliberately created and spread to deceive or mislead. The video emphasizes the role of disinformation in fueling hate, anger, and divisiveness, and how it is used as a tool by authoritarians to manipulate public opinion, as exemplified by the speaker's discussion of the impact of disinformation on elections and society.

💡Authoritarians

Authoritarians are individuals or regimes that advocate or exercise strict, often arbitrary authority over others. The video connects the rise of authoritarians to the spread of disinformation and the erosion of democratic values, highlighting the importance of defending truth and press freedom against such forces.

💡Truth

Truth, in this context, refers to the accurate and verified information that forms the basis of journalistic reporting. The speaker argues that truth is essential for trust and shared reality, which are foundational to democracy. The video underscores the importance of upholding truth in the face of lies and misinformation.

💡Hate

Hate, as discussed in the video, refers to the intense hostility and prejudice that can be incited and amplified through misinformation and social media. The speaker connects the spread of hate to the rise of violence and the breakdown of democratic societies, emphasizing the need to counteract this toxic sentiment.

💡Cyber Libel

Cyber libel is a legal term referring to the act of defaming someone through digital or online means. The video mentions the speaker's own conviction for cyber libel as an example of how legal systems can be used to intimidate and silence journalists, highlighting the challenges faced by those who report the truth.

💡Impunity

Impunity refers to the state of being protected from the consequences of one's actions, often used in the context of crimes or abuses of power. The video discusses how governments and tech companies can act with impunity, contributing to the spread of disinformation and the undermining of democratic processes.

💡Democracy

Democracy is a system of government where power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or through elected representatives. The video underscores the importance of democracy and the existential threat it faces from disinformation, authoritarianism, and the erosion of press freedom.

💡Information Ecosystem

The information ecosystem refers to the complex network of individuals, organizations, and technologies that create, distribute, and consume information. The video discusses the current state of this ecosystem as being dominated by lies and hate, and calls for a transformation to one that prioritizes facts, truth, and trust.

Highlights

Maria Ressa calls upon fellow journalists to hold the line and stay true to their mission of truth and accountability.

Remembers the brutal dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi and the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, among other journalists.

Acknowledges the work of the Hold the Line Coalition and human rights groups in defending press freedom.

Notes the high number of lawyers killed compared to journalists in the Philippines under President Duterte's administration.

Mentions the challenges faced by her own news organization, Rappler, including legal battles and loss of franchise.

Describes the dual threat to democracy posed by the absence of law and the rise of authoritarians and dictators.

Discusses the role of technology as a new gatekeeper, spreading lies and dividing society.

Emphasizes the need to transform hate and violence in the information ecosystem.

Shares personal experiences of kindness and the importance of believing in the good in the world.

Recalls the historical significance of receiving the Nobel Prize as a journalist, drawing parallels to 1936.

Highlights the importance of gender in the context of disinformation and its impact on women and journalists.

Describes the attacks against Rappler and the broader implications for press freedom and democracy.

Criticizes social media platforms for profiting from hate and lies, and calls for regulation.

Proposes solutions such as rebuilding journalism, protecting journalists, and addressing the advertising model.

Advocates for a multilateral approach to restore facts and combat the spread of disinformation.

Urges the audience to imagine a better world and to take action to make it a reality.

Transcripts

i call upon maria ressa to deliver her

noble lecture

for 2021

please take the stage

[Applause]

thank you

your majesties

your royal highnesses distinguished

members of the norwegian nobel committee

your excellencies distinguished guests

ladies and

gentlemen i stand before you a

representative of every journalist

around the world who is forced to

sacrifice so much to hold the line

to stay true to our values and mission

to bring you the truth and hold power to

account

i remember

the brutal dismemberment of jamal

khashoggi

the assassination of daphne caruana

galicia in malta

my friend luce meli reyes in venezuela

roman protozovich in belarus whose plane

was literally hijacked so he could be

arrested

jimmy ly languishing in a hong kong

prison sonny

who after getting out of more than seven

years in jail started another news group

and now is forced to flee myanmar

and in my own country

twenty-three-year-old frenchie me kumpio

still in prison after nearly two years

and

just 36 hours ago

the news that my former colleague jess

malabanan was killed with a bullet to

his head

there are so many to thank

for keeping us safer

and working

the hold the line coalition of more than

80 global groups defending press freedom

and the human rights groups that help us

shine the light

there are costs for you as well

at least

63

lawyers more lawyers have been killed

than journalists in the philippines at

least 63 compared to the 22 journalists

murdered after president rodrigo duterte

took office in 2016.

since then karapatan a member of our

courage on human rights coalition has

had 16 people killed and senator laila

de lima because she demanded

accountability

is serving her fifth year in jail or

abs-cbn

our largest broadcaster a newsroom that

i once led

which last year

lost its franchise to operate

i helped create a startup rappler

turning 10 years old in january we're

getting old our attempt to put together

two sides of the same coin that shows

everything wrong with our world today

the absence of law

and democratic vision for the 21st

century

that coin represents

our information ecosystem which

determines everything else about our

world journalists that's one side the

old gatekeepers

the other is technology with its

god-like power the new gatekeepers it

has allowed the virus of lies to infect

each of us

pitting us against each other

bringing out our fears

anger

hate

and setting the stage for the rise of

authoritarians and dictators

around the world

our greatest need today

is to transform that hate and violence

the toxic sludge that's coursing through

our information ecosystem prioritized

by american internet companies that make

more money by spreading that hate

and triggering the worst in us

okay well that just means we have to

work harder

you know

in order to be the good

we have to believe

there is good in the world

right an old t-shirt from rappler from

2014.

i've been a journalist for more than 35

years

i've worked in conflict zones and war

zones in asia reported on hundreds of

disasters and while i've seen so much

bad

i've also documented so much good

when people who have nothing

offer you what they have

part of how we a trappler have survived

the last five years of government

attacks

is because of the kindness of strangers

and the reason they help

despite the

the danger

is because they want to with little

expectation of anything in return

this is the best of who we are

the part of our humanity that makes

miracles

happen

this is what we lose in a world of fear

and violence

you've heard that the last time a

working journalist was given this award

was in 1936 awarded in 1935 he was

supposed to come and get it in 1936.

carl von zyeski never made it to oslo

because he languished in a nazi

concentration camp so

we're here

hopefully a little bit ahead we're both

here

by giving this to journalists today

thank you

the nobel committee is signaling a

similar historical moment

another existential point for democracy

dmitry and i are lucky because we can

speak to you now

yay for court approvals

but

there are so many more journalists

persecuted in the shadows with neither

exposure nor support and governments are

doubling down with impunity

the accelerant is technology when

creative destruction

takes new meaning

you've heard from david we are standing

on the rubble of the world that was

and we must have the foresight and

courage to imagine what might happen

if we don't act now and instead please

create the world as it should be

more compassionate

more equal

more sustainable

to do that please ask yourself the same

question we at rappler had to confront

five years ago

what are you

willing to sacrifice for the truth

i'll tell you how i lived my way into

the answer and three points first my

context and how these attacks shaped me

second by the problem we all face and

finally finding the solution

because we must

in less than two years the philippine

government filed ten arrest warrants

against me i've had to post bail ten

times just to do my job

last year i and a former colleague were

convicted of cyber libel for a story we

published eight years earlier at a time

the law we allegedly violated didn't

even exist

all told the charges i faced could send

me to jail for about 100 years

but the more i was attacked for my

journalism the more resolute i became i

had first-hand evidence of abuse of

power

what was meant to intimidate me and

rappler

only strengthened us

at the core of journalism is a code of

honor and mine is layered on different

worlds from how i grew up the golden

rule what's right and wrong

from college and the honor code i

learned there and my time as a reporter

and the code of standards and ethics i

learned and helped write

add to that the filipino idea of

literally the debt from within

at its best it's a system of paying it

forward

truth and ethical honor intersected like

an arrow into this moment where hate

lies and divisiveness thrive

as only the 18th woman to receive this

prize

i need to tell you how gender

disinformation is a new threat and is

taking a significant toll on the mental

health and physical safety of women

girls trans and lgbtq people all around

the world

women journalists are at the epicenter

of risk

this pandemic of misogyny and hatred

needs to be tackled now

even there though we can find strength

after all you don't really know who you

are

until you're forced to fight for it

now let me pull out so we're clear about

the problem we all face and how we got

here the attacks against us in rappler

began five years ago when we demanded an

end to impunity on two fronts rodrigo

duterte's drug war and mark zuckerberg's

facebook

today it has only gotten worse and

silicon valley since came home to roost

in the united states on january 6 with

mob violence on capitol hill

what happens on social media

doesn't stay on social media

online violence is

real world violence

social media is a deadly game for power

and money what shashana zubov calls

surveillance capitalism extracting our

private lives for outsized corporate

gain

our personal experiences sucked into a

database

organized by ai

then sold to the highest bidder

highly profitable micro targeting

operations are engineered to

structurally undermine human will

it's i've repeatedly called it a

behavior modification system in which we

are all pavlov's dogs experimented on in

real time with disastrous consequences

in countries like mine

myanmar india sri lanka so many more

these destructive corporations have

siphoned money away from news

organizations and now they pose a

foundational threat to markets

and elections

facebook is the world's largest

distributor of news and yet studies have

shown that lies laced with anger and

hate spread faster and further than

facts these american companies

controlling our global information

ecosystem are biased against facts

bias against journalists

they are by design dividing us

and radicalizing us

i've said this repeatedly over the last

five years

without facts you can't have truth

without truth you can't have trust

without trust

we have no shared reality no democracy

and it becomes impossible to deal with

the existential problems of our times

climate coronavirus

now the battle for truth

when i first was arrested in 2019 the

officer said mom trabajo

ma'am i'm only doing my job

then he lowered his voice to almost a

whisper as he read my miranda rights

he was really uncomfortable and i almost

felt sorry for him except he was

arresting me because i'm a journalist

this officer was a tool of power an exam

and an example of how a good man can

turn evil and how great atrocities

happen

hannah arendt wrote about the banality

of evil when describing men who carried

out the orders of hitler

how career-oriented bureaucrats can act

without conscience because they justify

what they're doing because they're only

following orders

this is how a nation

and the world

loses its soul

you have to know what values you're

fighting for you have to draw the lines

early but if you haven't done so please

do it now where on this side you're good

this side you're evil

some governments may be lost causes and

if you're working in tech i'm talking to

you

how can you have election integrity if

you don't have integrity of facts

that's the problem facing countries with

elections next year among them brazil

hungary france the united states and my

philippines

where we are at a do or die moment with

presidential elections on may 9th 35

years after the people power revolt

ousted ferdinand marcos and forced his

family into exile his son ferdinand

marcos jr is the front runner for

president

and he has built an extensive

disinformation network on social media

which rappler exposed in 2019

it's literally changing history in front

of our eyes

to show how disinformation is both a

local and global problem take the

chinese information operations taken

down by facebook in september 2020 a

year ago it was creating fake accounts

using ai generated photos for the us

elections

polishing the image of the marcosus in

the

philippines campaigning for the daughter

of duterte president duterte and

attacking me and rappler

chinese information operations so what

are we going to do

an invisible atom bomb has exploded in

our information ecosystem and the world

must act as it did after hiroshima like

that time we need to create new

institutions like the united nations and

new codes stating our values like the

universal declaration of human rights to

prevent humanity from doing its worse

it's an arms race in our information

ecosystem

to stop that requires a multilateral

approach that all of us must be part of

it begins

by restoring facts

we need information ecosystems that live

and die by facts

we do this by shifting social priorities

to rebuild journalism for the 21st

century

while regulating and outlawing the

surveillance economics that profit from

hate and lies

we need to help independent journalism

survive first

by giving greater protection to

journalists and standing up against

states

which target journalists

then we need to address the advertising

model of journalism

this is part of the reason that i agreed

to co-chair the international fund for

public interest media which is trying to

raise money from overseas development

assistance funds right now while

journalists are under attack on every

front only 0.3

0.3 percent of oda funds is spent on

journalism if we nudge that to just one

percent we can raise a billion dollars a

year for news organizations

that will be crucial for the global

south

journalists

must embrace technology

that's why with the help of google news

initiative rappler rolled out a new

platform two weeks ago

designed to build communities of action

it won't be as viral as what the tech

platforms built but the north star

is not profit alone it is

facts

truth

and trust

now for legislation

thanks to the eu for taking leadership

with its democracy action plan for the

u.s

reform or revoked section 230 the law

that treats social media platforms like

utilities it's not a comprehensive

solution but it gets the ball rolling

because these platforms put their thumbs

on the scale of distribution so while

the public debate is here

down here on content moderation

downstream the real slight of hand

happens further upstream where

algorithms of amplification

algorithms of distribution have been

programmed by humans

with coded bias

their editorial agenda is profit driven

carried out by machines at scale

the impact is global with cheap armies

on social media rolling back democracy

tearing it down in 81 countries around

the world

that impunity must stop

democracy has become a woman-to-woman

man-to-man defense of our values

we're at a sliding door moment where we

can continue down the path we're on

and descend further into fascism

or we can choose

to fight

for a better world

to do that please

ask yourself

what are you

willing to sacrifice for the truth

i didn't know if i was going to be here

today

every day i live with the real threat of

spending the rest of my life in jail

because i'm a journalist

when i go home

i have no idea what the future holds

but it's worth the risk

the destruction has already happened

now it's time to build to create the

world we want

so please with me

just

close your eyes

for just a moment

and imagine the world as it should be

a world of peace

trust and empathy

bringing out the best that we can be

open your eyes now go

we have to make it happen

please

let's hold the line

together

thank you

[Applause]

you