Meedan is extremely pleased to congratulate our board of directors member Maria Ressa for receiving the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize.

For those of us who have watched Maria and her amazing team work for most of the past decade to build Rappler into a thriving symbol of press freedom and journalistic excellence, amidst legal persecution and personal harassment, the Nobel Prize seems appropriate to the accomplishment. Maria made clear in her initial remarks that this award reflects on the work of the amazing team that has built Rappler. It is also fitting that the Nobel Committee has recognized the particular role that journalists play in this era of social media driven media. As Maria says, "a world without facts means a world without truth and trust." As an organization we are honored to work with Maria and the Rappler team on programs that model the potential for committed and creative journalism to defend truth and build trust.

The Check Global Network hosted Maria Ressa in May 2020 when we launched our webinar series on ‘Women, Media and the Pandemic’. As part of the event, Maria said, "when journalists are under attack, democracy is under attack." Maria has constantly talked about the need to use the freedom of expression to highlight corruption, expose the abuse of power and to strengthen democratic institutions. As part of the webinar, Maria said, "I am often asked if I am a journalist or an activist. For me, when facts are debatable, when it is a war for truth, journalists are activists. And this is our battle."

Meedan is proud of its association with Maria Ressa and Rappler. The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize is a validation of Maria’s fight for social justice and her style of journalism that speaks truth to power. We extend our warmest congratulations to Maria Ressa.