THE Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual press freedom award of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), has been awarded to Maria Ressa, co-founder, CEO and executive editor of the online news site, Rappler.
The award, made in Cascais, Portugal during the opening ceremony of the 70th World News Media Congress and 25th World Editors Forum, recognized Ressa's unwavering commitment to the values of a free press, as well as her determination to continue exposing stories of vital importance for democracy in the Philippines amidst intense pressure from the government and its supporters.
"You don't really know who you are until you're forced to fight to defend it," Ressa said in her acceptance speech, delivered in front of over 700 publishers, CEOs and editors-in-chief from the global news industry.
"Then every battle you win – or lose... every compromise you choose to make ... or to walk away from ... all these struggles define the values you live by and, ultimately, who you are. We at Rappler decided that when we look back at this moment a decade from now, we will have done everything we could: we did not duck, we did not hide."
Since the 2016 election of President Rodrigo Duterte, Rappler has fallen victim to a deliberate and highly targeted online campaign by supporters of the controversial head of state that seeks to discredit the media organization and drown out criticism.
In parallel, Ressa has been the target of an increasingly hostile, gender-targeted hate campaign designed to undermine her credibility and the legitimacy of Rappler's reporting.
Rather than retreating from the threats, she has become a vocal spokeswoman in denouncing online harassment and in warning of the negative effects for democracy of the increasing use of technology generally - and social media more specifically - to discredit professional journalism.
At present, Rappler is facing a raft of judicial and legal cases, tax inspections and administrative investigations that have been brought by government agencies and officials who are actively pursuing the company in an attempt to close down its reporting.
In the most high profile case, in January 2018 the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoked Rappler's license of incorporation – a decision the company continues to fight.
"We honour a genuinely courageous journalist, a dedicated media pioneer, and a true believer in the power that the craft of journalism can have," said Dave Callaway, World Editors Forum president, editor and CEO of The Street in presenting the award.
"We stand in solidarity with Maria Ressa and her news organisation as together they face immense pressures, deeply personal attacks, and orchestrated attempts to undermine the professionalism and credibility of a news brand that has captured the public imagination," Callaway continued. "They have not backed away from publicly denouncing either the policies or the hate that has come as a result of their coverage, and Rappler has continued the reporting that was at the heart of the onslaught - for that we applaud them." (WAN-IFRA)