

But the head of the Swedish - Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, which awards some Nobel prizes, said the committee will not implement quotas for gender or ethnicity, despite pressure to do so. And since the Nobel prizes were given out in 1901, only 58 women have won. So, out of 13 people who won the Nobel Prize this year, you’re the only woman. And then the trigger that made some of our desk people really plan was when a senior Norwegian journalist just kept asking for my cell phone. And my desk was thinking, should we prepare? The announcement came on the last day of the filing of the candidacies for our May 2022 elections, so we were running around like crazy already. So I was- guys, don’t worry, it’s a long shot. And I just thought it was one of those lists, right? They had a list of the people, and so they just wanted to get a number. I think the first inkling we had of it was a few days before, CNN had asked. Was this something that surprised you? maria ressa You’ve won Time Person of the Year and all kinds of things, and all deserved. So did you expect to win something like this? You’ve won awards. And yet, I’m also still trying to do my work. The editors in Venezuela were having a hard time. And now I just have no idea of busy, right? The Nobel Committee gave us a spotlight, and I wanted to shine the spotlight on Venezuela. I still don’t know, because all of a sudden, there was this flurry of activity. Yeah, I’m still stunned, you know? And I am just - Kara, look, when they called, I said I was speechless, but ironically, I just kept saying speechless. Maria Ressa, welcome to “Sway.” So what is your reaction to winning? maria ressa So I wanted to talk to Maria about what message the Nobel Committee may have been trying to send by giving journalists the award, and what the world can learn from her experience. But that hasn’t stopped her from reporting the truth in one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a journalist. During that time, online abuse, government persecution, and death threats have gotten in her way. These days, she’s been doing most of this via Rappler, a news site she co-founded almost a decade ago. Yes, for her coverage of President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal regime, but also for her very early reporting on social media misinformation and the spread of Facebook-fueled lies in her region. In announcing the prize to Ressa, the committee said she, quote, “uses freedom of expression to expose abuse of power, use of violence, and growing authoritarianism in her native country, the Philippines.” I’m glad the Nobel Committee has caught up, because I’ve been touting Maria’s work for years. Maria was just awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which she shared with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov. I’m calling you on behalf of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. archived recording (maria ressa)Īm I talking to Maria Ressa? archived recording (maria ressa) I’m Kara Swisher, and you’re listening to “Sway.” Earlier this month, my guest, Maria Ressa, who, by the way, is also a friend, was on a Zoom when her phone rang. (SINGING) When you walk in the room, do you have sway? kara swisher of Facebook, discusses the “atom bomb” that social media set off in our information ecosystem. Transcript Will Maria Ressa’s Nobel Peace Prize Force Mark Zuckerberg to Wake Up? The journalist, whose reporting has taken on the president of the Philippines and the C.E.O.
