With over 40 years in journalism, Maria Ressa describes today’s information landscape as a war zone, where online attacks, including doxxing, misogynistic hashtags, and manipulated images don’t just stay online.
They spill into real-world intimidation and violence.
Marianna Spring, the BBC’s Social Media Investigations Correspondent, speaks to Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa, co-founder of the independent Filipino news outlet Rappler.
This conversation explores the rise of online misogyny, the weaponisation of social media by authoritarian regimes, and the global impact on press freedom. Maria draws on her experience in the Philippines to offer insights for resisting digital repression and calls out tech giants for failing to protect democracy.
She also shares her vision for accountability and action and what needs to happen to safeguard journalism and democracy in the digital age.
00:00 Introduction
00:16 Experiencing online attacks
03:50 Mapping the troll networks
05:24 Gendered abuse and misogyny
09:24 Platform design and accountability
11:38 Solutions: Journalism, Technology, and Community
17:06 The impact of AI and Generative AI
18:17 Lessons from the Philippines
21:34 Hope and creative destruction
23:08 Addressing critics and freedom of expression
