Rappler rises
RACHEL A.G. REYES
MARIA Ressa, founder of the online news organization Rappler, clinched the first interview with Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, before he was elected to the presidency in 2016. It was a crucial moment during the campaign. The man from Mindanao was late in formally declaring his candidacy and was only just beginning to be seen as a serious contender. He was the dark horse candidate whom the general public had scarcely heard of. He was rumored to be a narcissist, a tyrant, and a murderous psychopath, who had ruled Davao like a gangster warlord. He had been investigated for grave human rights abuses. Ressa, a hardboiled journalist — she was a war correspondent and a former CNN Bureau chief — had the golden opportunity of taking him to task. She was expected to be tough and critical. She was neither.
Published in late October 2015, the interview has had a million views. Duterte denied none of the allegations. He called them “part of a day’s work.” He admitted he had killed at least three people in the past three months. Instead of being condemnatory, Ressa appeared to condone his admissions. Instead of opprobrium, she was approving. “So, no qualms about killing killers,” she said and, incredibly, left it at that. She was accommodating and even seemed quite taken by him. At one point, she likened Duterte to a “benevolent dictator.” It was excruciating to watch — like seeing a snake-charmer falling sway to the charms of the snake.
That was 2015. Since Duterte assumed the presidency, Rappler has changed tack and shown its true mettle, becoming the government’s fiercest critic. The President declared war on the media and Rappler was directly attacked. Last January the organization had its license revoked by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the government agency within the Department of Finance responsible for regulating industries, including the mass media. Duterte had accused the organization of being owned by foreigners and in violation of foreign equity restrictions. By March, the government launched an additional investigation for tax evasion. Ressa was subjected to vicious trolling and received death threats by the hour. One young Rappler journalist, Pia Ranada, who had stood up to Duterte’s intimidations, was barred from Malacañang press conferences. Rappler’s advertising subscriptions plummeted.
Veteran journalists Marites Danguilan Vitug (left), and Chay Hofilena of Rappler news.
Rather than be cowed, the assaults seemed to wake Ressa and galvanize her colleagues and Rappler journalists. Rappler stepped up its coverage on extrajudicial killings and corruption. Ressa wrote strong pieces on the weaponization of the internet, decrying the president’s army of social media trolls, the pervasiveness of fake news and its purveyors, and the erosion of press freedom in the Philippines. With fellow journalist Chay Hofileña, a professor of media ethics at the Ateneo de Manila University and a Columbia University graduate, she faced the press and announced she would fight the government’s suits and was ready to be jailed.
Visiting the Rappler offices last week, I was struck by a general sense of calmness and collegiality. Seasoned journalist and author Marites Dañguilan Vitug was chatting with Jodesz Gavilan, whose job it is to track social media, and Paterno Esmaquel 2nd, who covers the activities of the foreign affairs secretary. In a glass cubicle, Chay is taking a meeting with the investigative reporter Patricia Evangelista. There are nine full-time Rappler reporters and they are young, and yes, I would unqualifiedly use the terms “hip, cool” and talented to describe them. As a print person, I am enthralled by their technological adeptness. Vitug tells me about the sort of multi-platform newsmaking that goes on. These kids vlog, shoot and edit segment videos, and write, all on their smartphones.
On July 26, the Court of Appeals issued its ruling in favor of Rappler. The court found that the news organization had not violated the laws regarding foreign ownership restrictions. The case was returned to the SEC and Rappler was given time to correct lapses in its documentation. It is a significant victory and Rappler celebrated, quietly and confidently. Chay, who has 20 years of journalistic experience, says she has never seen the sort of harassment, intimidation and coercion that is occurring now under the Duterte presidency. The banning of reporters from reporting on the Palace, filing tax evasion suits, publicly threatening individuals, the threats to revoke media licenses, the public shaming, the misogynism, all of these, she tells me, make this era unique.
For now, Rappler has survived to fight another day. Its journalists are like-minded, idealistic, and are able to effectively reach out to an 18-35 year old readership. A news page gets on average a million views per day and advertising is picking up again. The rise of Rappler is looking unstoppable.
rachelagreyes@gmail.com
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