How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for Our Future

One of Facebook’s teams came to meet with Ressa in the Rappler offices. During the meeting, she was informed that officers were in the newsroom to arrest her. Despite this attempt to intimidate her and her colleagues, her team remained committed to their work as journalists and truth-tellers. Ressa’s colleagues continued to document the events through live-streaming and video recording, even in the face of direct threats from the arresting officers.

Ressa describes the numerous arrest warrants issued against her and the legal battles she faced. She was taken into custody multiple times, each time posting bail and continuing her work. The manangs worked tirelessly to coordinate legal defense, media coverage, and security measures for Ressa and Rappler. Ressa also received crucial assistance from international lawyers, including renowned human rights attorney Amal Clooney and her team, who helped Ressa navigate the complex legal challenges and assess the potential risks she faced.

Ressa grappled with the decision to return in the Philippines and fight the charges against her or to remain in the United States, where she held dual citizenship. Despite the concerns raised by her legal team and the increasing dangers she faced, Ressa ultimately chose to go back to the Philippines, believing that she had to stand up for her principles and expose the abuses of power by the government.

Meanwhile, Ressa’s close friend, Twink, aided Ressa through her legal struggles while battling cancer. Twink’s determination to fight her illness and her unwavering support for Ressa served as a source of inspiration for Ressa. Twink passed away in January 2020, leaving Ressa devastated, and even more resolute in her commitment to fighting for democracy and freedom of the press in the Philippines.

Throughout the chapter, Ressa reflects on the importance of courage, the power of individual choices, and the need to resist becoming like those who abuse their power. She chooses to live by her values and to expose the abuses of the Duterte administration, no matter the personal cost.

Ressa recounts a dinner in London with Carol Cadwalladr, a reporter who broke the Cambridge Analytica story. Ressa draws parallels between their experiences facing legal challenges and online attacks due to their journalism work.

Ressa then decided to step down as Rappler’s executive editor in November 2020, transitioning to focus on tech, data, and business operations. This shift coincided with her realization that journalism alone wasn’t enough to solve the problems they were facing; community engagement was also crucial. She became involved with the Real Facebook Oversight Board, a group of experts demanding changes in Facebook’s policies. She highlights the group’s efforts to push for actionable changes, especially in the lead-up to the 2020 US presidential election. Christopher Wylie, a Cambridge Analytica whistleblower, confirmed many of Rappler’s findings about Facebook and social media manipulation. Wylie explained how countries like the Philippines were used as “petri dishes” for testing manipulation tactics before implementing them in Western countries (228).

Rappler’s research efforts include the development of their Shark Tank database, which captures vast amounts of data from social media platforms. This data allows them to map information ecosystems and track disinformation networks. Rappler faced challenges due to government attacks, including loss of advertising revenue and mounting legal fees. However, these challenges led to innovation, resulting in a new data and tech-based business model that helped Rappler achieve profitability in 2019.

In June 15, 2020, Ressa was convicted of cyber libel. She provides a detailed account of the court proceedings, highlighting the questionable nature of the charges and the judge’s decision. Despite the conviction, Ressa remained defiant, urging journalists and citizens to protect their rights and not be afraid.

The chapter concludes with Ressa describing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on democracy in the Philippines, including the shutdown of ABS-CBN. She also shares personal struggles, such as losing her right to travel and being thus unable to visit her parents when her mother was diagnosed with cancer.

Throughout the chapter, Ressa emphasizes resilience, the importance of standing up for rights, and the need for innovative approaches to combat disinformation and protect democracy. She portrays herself and Rappler as being at the forefront of these battles, facing significant personal and professional challenges but remaining committed to their mission.

The book’s final chapter opens with Ressa covering the filing of candidacy certificates in October 2021, noting President Duterte’s announced retirement and the emergence of Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., as a presidential candidate.

While participating in a webinar on press freedom in Southeast Asia, Ressa received the unexpected news that she had been awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. This recognition was a vindication for both her work and the struggles faced by journalists worldwide. Ressa reflects on the significance of the award, not just for herself but for Filipino journalists, the Global South, and the ongoing fight for truth and facts. She shared this moment with her team at Rappler, tempering their celebration with a reminder that the recognition could also bring increased challenges.

As a fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School, Ressa focused on the intersection of technology, journalism, and politics. During this period, she engaged in in-depth discussions with Shoshana Zuboff about surveillance capitalism and its profound impact on society. These conversations helped shape Ressa’s understanding of the technological challenges facing journalism and democracy.

As Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., rose in Philippine politics, social media and disinformation networks played a crucial role in rehabilitating the Marcos family’s image and downplaying historical facts about the Marcos regime’s abuses and corruption. Ressa outlines the strategies used by the Marcos-Duterte disinformation networks to dominate the Philippine information ecosystem, including the creation of Facebook pages, the spread of false narratives, and the vilification of critics and mainstream media.

To combat these challenges, Ressa introduces her three-pillar approach: technology, journalism, and community. She emphasizes the need for government action to hold technology companies accountable and describes Rappler’s efforts to build technological solutions. The author also discusses the importance of protecting and supporting investigative journalism, including initiatives like the International Fund for Public Interest Media and the need for stronger legal protections for journalists.

A significant portion of the chapter is dedicated to describing the creation of the #FactsFirstPH coalition, a society-wide approach to combating disinformation during the 2022 Philippine elections. This initiative involved collaboration among news organizations, civil society groups, researchers, and legal professionals, demonstrating Ressa’s commitment to collective action in the face of overwhelming challenges.

The chapter also touches on global events, including Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resurgence of fascist ideologies worldwide. Ressa draws parallels between the manipulation of information in various countries and the rise of populist leaders, highlighting the interconnected nature of these global challenges.

Despite the efforts of #FactsFirstPH and grassroots mobilization, Marcos, Jr., won the 2022 Philippine presidential election. Ressa reflects on the power of systematic execution and long-term preparation in political machinery, acknowledging the uphill battle faced by those fighting for democracy and truth.

Ressa concludes by emphasizing the importance of embracing values, creating teams, and fostering collaboration to stand up to dictators and protect democracy. She calls for action at personal, community, and global levels to address the challenges posed by technology, disinformation, and the erosion of democratic institutions.

Ressa describes her 2022 return to Tom’s River, New Jersey, 40 years after graduating from Tom’s River High School North in 1982, to be inducted into the Tom’s River Regional Schools Hall of Fame. The day after her induction, a newly renovated auditorium at her old high school was dedicated as the Maria Ressa Auditorium. Ressa gave a speech to over 600 students from various Tom’s River high schools. Her main points included the importance of finding meaning in life, emphasizing that it can’t be found on social media. Ressa also warned about the dangers of anger and hate in shaping society.

During her address to the students, Ressa departed from her prepared statement and spoke extemporaneously. She discussed the challenges of growing up in today’s social media environment, and acknowledged her generation’s failures and the broken world being handed to the younger generation. She encouraged students to think independently, be skeptical of social media, and practice empathy.

The epilogue concludes by mentioning the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting that occurred the day after the auditorium dedication, resulting in increased security measures at Tom’s River schools.