Journalist and Nobel laureate Maria Ressa hopes to make Americans vote with their heads rather than their hearts. With the US election taking place in less than a month, she sees it as a “tipping point” in the struggle for democracy vs despotism.
The American tech companies, according to Ressa, have taken a stand. Big Tech, she claimed, was currently siding with despots and autocrats. “It allows them to gain ground. It dismantles the reality that we all live in.
Under the administration of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Ressa endured unrelenting persecution for her journalism after she started the news website Rappler in 2012. In 2021, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov for their struggle for press freedom.
As Ressa saw firsthand in the Philippines, popular faith in government is dwindling in the United States as well. The media’s commitment to reporting the facts and new regulations imposed on digital businesses are both necessary for this course correction.
Ressa spoke with AWN Tech anchor Steven Overly in the network’s headquarters outside of Washington, DC, about her thoughts on the current situation of media, Big Tech, and disinformation. Pay attention to the entire interview.