Maria Ressa, a Filipino and American journalist for reporting on abuses of power and fake news, will be the distinguished speaker for the at the University of Notre Dame on March 21. Sponsored by the , the free event starts at 4:30 p.m. in the Patricia George Decio Theatre at the .
Notre Dame Law Professor , a Liu Institute faculty fellow and international human rights attorney, will moderate a discussion after the lecture, which is co-sponsored by 听听
Tickets are available at the .听Backpacks and large bags will not be permitted at this event.
Additionally, a public discussion of Ressa鈥檚听recently released memoir, 鈥�,鈥� will be held on March 7. Details will follow.
鈥淢aria Ressa鈥檚 bravery in speaking truth to power is profound,鈥� said , director of the Liu Institute. 鈥淗er commitment to democracy, especially revealed by her tireless work to expose and fight against fake news, is equally inspiring.鈥�
A former CNN correspondent and bureau chief in Jakarta and Manila, Ressa co-founded the Philippines-based news site Rappler in 2012 with three other women. Rappler earned acclaim for combating fake news in addition to exposing human rights abuses by the regime of former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte.
In awarding Ressa the 2021 Peace Prize, the Nobel committee wrote, 鈥淎s an investigative journalist, she has distinguished herself as a fearless defender of freedom of expression and has exposed the abuse of power, use of violence and increasing authoritarianism of the regime of President Rodrigo Duterte. In particular, Ms. Ressa has focused critical attention on President Duterte鈥檚 controversial, murderous anti-drug campaign. She and Rappler have also documented how social media are being used to spread fake news, harass opponents and manipulate public discourse.鈥�
In her Nobel acceptance speech, Ressa spoke of the last journalist to win the peace prize, Carl von Ossietzky in 1935, who couldn鈥檛 accept the prize because he was being held in a Nazi concentration camp. 鈥淏y giving the honor to me and Dmitry Muratov of Russia, the Norwegian Nobel committee signaled that the world was at a similar historical moment, another existential point for democracy,鈥� she said.听
Born in Manila in 1963, Ressa moved to the United States at age 9 with her family. After studying at Princeton University, she returned to live in the Philippines and launched her journalism career. Among her many awards, her work combating fake news earned Ressa the cover of Time听magazine as its 2018 Person of the Year representing journalists fighting disinformation.听
The Asia Leadership Forum invites leaders from Asia to discuss topics within a global context. Past speakers are former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (2015), former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou (2016) and former United Nations听Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (2018).
The Liu Institute for Asia and Asian 91视频, part of the Keough 91视频 of Global Affairs, promotes awareness, understanding and knowledge of Asia through administering a supplementary major and minor in Asian studies, supporting student and faculty scholarship, organizing public events, and facilitating interaction and exchanges with partners in Asia. The institute was established by a gift from the RM Liu Foundation that supports the philanthropic activities of Robert and Mimi Liu and their children, Emily and Justin, both Notre Dame graduates.听
For more information about Ressa鈥檚 lecture and the book discussion, or check the institute website at .
Photo source:听鈥淢aria鈥� (2010) by 听辞苍 and . Modified under听听.听
Originally published by the听 at on Feb. 7.