Facts is the most important – algorithms a threat, says Nobel laureate
The most important now is the fight for facts, says Nobel peace prize winner and journalist Maria Ressa prior to the Nobel ceremonies in Oslo and Stockholm on December 10. Ressa was after many complications by a Philippine court of appeals allowed to go to Oslo. She is sharing the peace prize with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, editor of newspaper Novaja Gazeta.
In an interview with Swedish public service broadcaster SVT, Ressa was critical to effects of social media and their use of algorithms saying they are a threat to freedom of expression and democracy.
Ressa is co-founder of Philippine website Rappler that has been covering president Rodrigo Duterte’s war against drugs that news reports say have led to killings of suspects without any legal trial.
Rappler’s coverage of the president’s action has resulted in social media threats to Ressa and the staff, especially on Facebook.
Violence on the internet does not stay there. It creates real violence, she said in the SVT interview.
Algorithms communicate messages that will make us react by fear or anger. And when primitive feelings take over instead of thoughtful decisions based on facts, we are manipulated on the internet, was her message.
Facebook makes this possible. Social media makes us think fast while journalism is about thinking slowly, she said.
Rappler has had its licence suspended and Ressa is fighting a number of legal cases. Supporters say she is being targeted due to her scrutiny of government policies, including President Duterte’s war on drugs resulting in numerous killings of suspects without legal trial.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee is expecting both Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov to attend the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2021 to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace. Ressa and Muratov are receiving the Peace Prize for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia.
“At the same time, they are representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions@, the Norwegian Nobel committee said.
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