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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at American chapter.

Maria Ressa is a Fillipino-American journalist who spent nearly two decades working as a lead investigative reporter in Southeast Asia for CNN and co-founder and CEO of Rappler, an independent Philippine online news website, but her record is not the reason you should know her name. 

Ressa is a major critic of the president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duerte, and last summer Ressa was found guilty of “cyber libel” against President Duerte, however, Ressa had only been reporting the truth of the president and government of the Philippines. 

After Ressa co-created Rappler, she was known for her unflinching coverage of President Duerte and his brutal war on drugs. 

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Photo by Jason Hargrove from Flickr

Due to her coverage of the president and Rappler being an independent journalism organization, she has been indicted multiple times on libel and tax evasion charges. Critics have described these charges as a way to silence the independent media in the Philippines. 

President Duerte’s war on drugs “have instigated and incited the killings in a campaign that could amount to crimes against humanity,” according to Human Rights Watch. 

Human Rights Watch research has found that police are falsifying evidence to justify these killings which are fueled by President Duerte’s campaign.

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Ressa had been arrested and indicted several times for fulfilling her job as an independent journalist and exposing these truths, yet the people of the Philippines resent her because they truly believe the war on drugs is a great cause. 

The people of the Philippines believe President Duerte’s every word, yet there is no proof to his cause being effective- only that it is a way for him to remain in complete control and kill those who speak against him. 

Ressa’s used her voice through her work to exemplify how the government is treating the people in reality, but no one has listened; they have only sent death threats instead. 

Ressa was named person of the year in 2018 in Times Magazine for her reporting on President Duerte and his war on drugs which you can learn more about in the documentary A Thousand Cuts. 

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Photo by CoWomen from Pexels

A Thousand Cuts is a documentary which covers the trials and tribulations Ressa faces while trying to report independently in the Philippines. It focuses on Ressa’s life and the war on drugs and how she reports these issues independently and fairly. 

Ressa is a great role model for all journalists and women because she fights for causes that matter and isn’t silenced by anyone or anything no matter what. 

People should know her name and know who she is because she is a prime example of fighting for what is right and upholding the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics no matter the circumstance.

Gianna is currently a senior at American University in Washington, D.C., and is majoring in journalism and minoring in political science. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Her Campus at American University. Gianna enjoys writing about Women's Advocacy, Politics and Pop Culture. She also loves to travel and find hole-in-the-wall restaurants in D.C.
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