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Maria A. Ressa

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5 out of 5

Co-Founder & CEO of Rappler, Journalist, Author & Freedom Advocate; 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Winner

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Maria A. Ressa Biography

Maria Ressa co-founded Rappler, the top digital-only news site that is leading the fight for press freedom in the Philippines. As Rappler’s CEO, Ressa has endured constant political harassment and arrests by the previous Filipino government headed by Rodrigo Duterte and forced to post bail ten times to stay free. Rappler’s battle for truth and democracy is the subject of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival documentary, A Thousand Cuts.

In October 2021, Ressa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”

In her talks, Ressa connects the dots as to how social media and recent technological developments often deceive and entrench political power, a dilemma that we all face.

For her courage and work on disinformation and ‘fake news,’ Ressa was named one of Time Magazine’s 2018 Person of the Year, was among its 100 Most Influential People of 2019, and has also been named one of Time’s Most Influential Women of the Century.

Before co-founding Rappler, Ressa focused on investigating terrorism in Southeast Asia. She opened and ran CNN’s Manila Bureau for nearly a decade before moving to Indonesia and opening the network’s Jakarta bureau, which she ran from 1995 to 2005. That was when she returned to Manila as the senior vice president in charge of ABS-CBN’s multimedia news operations, managing almost a thousand journalists for the largest news organization in the country.

Ressa’s most recent book, "How to Stand Up to a Dictator," was released in 2022 and has been translated into 20 languages, with more to come in 2024. It is an urgent cry for readers worldwide to recognize and understand the dangers to our freedoms before it is too late.

She is an inaugural Carnegie Distinguished Fellow at Columbia University’s newly launched Institute of Global Politics, where she leads projects related to artificial intelligence and democracy. In July 2024, she will join the faculty of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs as a professor of professional practice.

Ressa focuses critical attention on the breakdown of our global information ecosystem and how interconnected communities of action can hold the line to protect democratic values. She now travels the world speaking to organizations of all kinds on democracy, how to keep it, and freedom of the press.

Speaking Topics
  • Technology’s Impact on Democracy

    Social media companies have become the dominant source of news and information. The distributors of news and information gain power. To grow and increase power, the platforms require continuously increasing viewers, which drives advertising revenue.

    Social media platforms have discovered that pushing viewers to the extreme left or right increases engagement, which increases ad revenue. To achieve this, the platforms develop algorithms designed to spread lies laced with hate and anger.

    Technology, once heralded as an enabler, is now the destroyer. How can we re-orient social media platforms to bring us together rather than divide us?

    In this talk, Maria explains how we went off the rails but, more importantly, how we can right the train.

  • The Fight for Democracy

    In this talk, Maria discusses how today’s style of leadership, us against them, sexism, and misogyny, has given everyone to be their worst selves in many ways.

    Democracies rely on elections, but as we’ve been manipulated before the elections, where’s the freedom of will? Without free will, we are simply carrying out the wishes of the manipulators. How do we protect democracy when surrounded by manipulation?

    Maria describes the four-layer pyramid that was successfully executed in the most recent Philippines election:

    • Hashtag facts through social and traditional media
    • The Mesh of civil society, NGOs, human rights, and business groups
    • Academia research groups
    • Legal groups from the left, right, and center working together

    This is the time to act. Don’t bury your head in the sand. This is an existential moment, and we either fight for our democracy, or we lose our rights.

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

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

From Bin Laden To Facebook: 10 Days Of Abduction, 10 Years Of Terrorism

From Bin Laden To Facebook: 10 Days Of Abduction, 10 Years Of Terrorism

Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of Al-Qaeda's Newest Center of Operations in Southeast Asia

Seeds of Terror: An Eyewitness Account of Al-Qaeda's Newest Center of Operations in Southeast Asia

FAQs
  • How do I book Maria A. Ressa to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Maria A. Ressa for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Maria A. Ressa, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Maria A. Ressa or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Maria A. Ressa

    Speaking fees for Maria A. Ressa, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Maria A. Ressa are $100,000 - $200,000 for live events and $50,000 - $100,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Maria A. Ressa, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Maria A. Ressa speak about?

  • Where does Maria A. Ressa travel from?

    Maria A. Ressa generally travels from Philippines, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Maria A. Ressa’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Maria A. Ressa for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Maria A. Ressa for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Maria A. Ressa or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

Co-Founder & CEO of Rappler, Journalist, Author & Freedom Advocate; 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Winner

Travels From:
Philippines
Speaking Fee:

Maria A. Ressa Biography

Maria Ressa co-founded Rappler, the top digital-only news site that is leading the fight for press freedom in the Philippines. As Rappler’s CEO, Ressa has endured constant political harassment and arrests by the previous Filipino government headed by Rodrigo Duterte and forced to post bail ten times to stay free. Rappler’s battle for truth and democracy is the subject of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival documentary, A Thousand Cuts.

In October 2021, Ressa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”

In her talks, Ressa connects the dots as to how social media and recent technological developments often deceive and entrench political power, a dilemma that we all face.

For her courage and work on disinformation and ‘fake news,’ Ressa was named one of Time Magazine’s 2018 Person of the Year, was among its 100 Most Influential People of 2019, and has also been named one of Time’s Most Influential Women of the Century.

Before co-founding Rappler, Ressa focused on investigating terrorism in Southeast Asia. She opened and ran CNN’s Manila Bureau for nearly a decade before moving to Indonesia and opening the network’s Jakarta bureau, which she ran from 1995 to 2005. That was when she returned to Manila as the senior vice president in charge of ABS-CBN’s multimedia news operations, managing almost a thousand journalists for the largest news organization in the country.

Ressa’s most recent book, "How to Stand Up to a Dictator," was released in 2022 and has been translated into 20 languages, with more to come in 2024. It is an urgent cry for readers worldwide to recognize and understand the dangers to our freedoms before it is too late.

She is an inaugural Carnegie Distinguished Fellow at Columbia University’s newly launched Institute of Global Politics, where she leads projects related to artificial intelligence and democracy. In July 2024, she will join the faculty of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs as a professor of professional practice.

Ressa focuses critical attention on the breakdown of our global information ecosystem and how interconnected communities of action can hold the line to protect democratic values. She now travels the world speaking to organizations of all kinds on democracy, how to keep it, and freedom of the press.

Maria A. Ressa Speaking Topics

  • Technology’s Impact on Democracy

    Social media companies have become the dominant source of news and information. The distributors of news and information gain power. To grow and increase power, the platforms require continuously increasing viewers, which drives advertising revenue.

    Social media platforms have discovered that pushing viewers to the extreme left or right increases engagement, which increases ad revenue. To achieve this, the platforms develop algorithms designed to spread lies laced with hate and anger.

    Technology, once heralded as an enabler, is now the destroyer. How can we re-orient social media platforms to bring us together rather than divide us?

    In this talk, Maria explains how we went off the rails but, more importantly, how we can right the train.

  • The Fight for Democracy

    In this talk, Maria discusses how today’s style of leadership, us against them, sexism, and misogyny, has given everyone to be their worst selves in many ways.

    Democracies rely on elections, but as we’ve been manipulated before the elections, where’s the freedom of will? Without free will, we are simply carrying out the wishes of the manipulators. How do we protect democracy when surrounded by manipulation?

    Maria describes the four-layer pyramid that was successfully executed in the most recent Philippines election:

    • Hashtag facts through social and traditional media
    • The Mesh of civil society, NGOs, human rights, and business groups
    • Academia research groups
    • Legal groups from the left, right, and center working together

    This is the time to act. Don’t bury your head in the sand. This is an existential moment, and we either fight for our democracy, or we lose our rights.

Maria A. Ressa Videos

  • Keynote address by Maria Ressa at the UNESCO Global ...
    Maria Ressa is co-founder and CEO of Rappler. In October 2021 she was one of two journalists awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
  • Maria Ressa | Rappler | Keynote and Q&A with Femi Oke
    A journalist in Asia for 35 years, Maria Ressa co-founded Rappler, the top digital only news site that is leading the fight for press freedom in the...
  • A THOUSAND CUTS (2020) | Official Trailer | PBS Distribution

Maria A. Ressa Books

Speaker Lists Featuring Maria A. Ressa

FAQs on booking Maria A. Ressa

  • How do I book Maria A. Ressa to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Maria A. Ressa for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Maria A. Ressa, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Maria A. Ressa or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Maria A. Ressa

    Speaking fees for Maria A. Ressa, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Maria A. Ressa are $100,000 - $200,000 for live events and $50,000 - $100,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Maria A. Ressa, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Maria A. Ressa speak about?

  • Where does Maria A. Ressa travel from?

    Maria A. Ressa generally travels from Philippines, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Maria A. Ressa’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Maria A. Ressa for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Maria A. Ressa for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Maria A. Ressa or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Maria A. Ressa is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Technology’s Impact on Democracy and The Fight for Democracy. The estimated speaking fee range to book Maria A. Ressa for your event is $100,000 - $200,000. Maria A. Ressa generally travels from Philippines and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Joy-Ann Reid, Laura Ling, Lata Reddy, Shiza Shahid and Andrea Mitchell. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Maria A. Ressa for an upcoming live or virtual event.

Maria A. Ressa Speaking Topics

  • Technology’s Impact on Democracy

    Social media companies have become the dominant source of news and information. The distributors of news and information gain power. To grow and increase power, the platforms require continuously increasing viewers, which drives advertising revenue.

    Social media platforms have discovered that pushing viewers to the extreme left or right increases engagement, which increases ad revenue. To achieve this, the platforms develop algorithms designed to spread lies laced with hate and anger.

    Technology, once heralded as an enabler, is now the destroyer. How can we re-orient social media platforms to bring us together rather than divide us?

    In this talk, Maria explains how we went off the rails but, more importantly, how we can right the train.

  • The Fight for Democracy

    In this talk, Maria discusses how today’s style of leadership, us against them, sexism, and misogyny, has given everyone to be their worst selves in many ways.

    Democracies rely on elections, but as we’ve been manipulated before the elections, where’s the freedom of will? Without free will, we are simply carrying out the wishes of the manipulators. How do we protect democracy when surrounded by manipulation?

    Maria describes the four-layer pyramid that was successfully executed in the most recent Philippines election:

    • Hashtag facts through social and traditional media
    • The Mesh of civil society, NGOs, human rights, and business groups
    • Academia research groups
    • Legal groups from the left, right, and center working together

    This is the time to act. Don’t bury your head in the sand. This is an existential moment, and we either fight for our democracy, or we lose our rights.

Maria A. Ressa Speaker Videos

  • Keynote address by Maria Ressa at the UNESCO Global ...
    Maria Ressa is co-founder and CEO of Rappler. In October 2021 she was one of two journalists awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
    Maria Ressa | Rappler | Keynote and Q&A with Femi Oke
    A journalist in Asia for 35 years, Maria Ressa co-founded Rappler, the top digital only news site that is leading the fight for press freedom in the Philippines. As Rappler’s executive editor and...
  • A THOUSAND CUTS (2020) | Official Trailer | PBS Distribution
    Maria Ressa and Lulu Garcia-Navarro - Aspen Ideas Festival
    Out on bail after a conviction for “cyber libel” by the Philippines government, journalist and freedom of the press crusader Maria Ressa checks in with NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro. How does Ressa...
  • Maria Ressa keynote at #GIJC2019
    This is Maria Ressa's keynote speech delivered at the 11th Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Hamburg, Germany.
    Maria Ressa on her arrest and the fight for press freedom
    Maria Ressa has been charged with 11 separate offences, been arrested twice and posted bail eight times. But that hasn't stopped her from reporting the truth. The Filipina journalist and co-founder...

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Speakers Similar to Maria A. Ressa

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

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