Maria Ressa and an attack on the free press in the Philippines – podcast
by Presented by Rachel Humphreys with Carmela Fonbuen from on (#55DAT)
One of the most prominent journalists in the Philippines has been convicted of cyberlibel' in a court process condemned by human rights groups. Journalist Carmela Fonbuena in Manila describes the chilling effect the verdict has had on free expression
Maria Ressa is one of the most prominent journalists in the Philippines with decades of experience in print and TV reporting. She is also executive editor of Rappler, an online news site.
In June she was convicted in a criminal court of the recently created offence of cyberlibel' over an article published in 2012 - before the law had come into effect. The article had subsequently been updated to correct a spelling error, allowing prosecutors to argue it had been republished.
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