A leading Philippines journalist looks at the future of freedom of expression.

A free press is one of the key tenets of democracy. It’s under attack and faces censorship in many parts of the world. On the front line is Maria Ressa, co-founder and CEO of Rappler, lead investigative reporter in Southeast Asia for CNN for more than 20 years and a Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2018 for fighting media intimidation.

Having been convicted of libel in June 2020 and sentenced to up to six years in prison – a ruling widely seen as a blow to democratic freedoms under President Duterte’s increasingly popular authoritarianism – she was freed on bail.

Ressa is now on trial again and – once more – human rights organisations around the world have been among those to condemn the charges as an assault on press freedom. How can journalists and a free press oppose such attacks and support freedom of expression?

Maria Ressa is in discussion with Can Yeğinsu.

This event is in association with Arts Council England and English PEN.

Please note: this is a pre-recorded event.

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Festival of Ideas: Maria Ressa, What Pressures Face Journalists Under Attack by Their Government?