Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa to Participate in GlobalFact Conference in Sarajevo

Maria Ressa, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, will attend this year’s GlobalFact conference, the world’s largest fact-checking event, being held in Sarajevo.

The eleventh GlobalFact, the world’s largest and most influential fact-checking conference, will take place in Sarajevo from June 26 to 28. Among the keynote speakers is Maria Ressa, the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, recognized for her efforts ‘to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace’.”

Maria Ressa is the co-founder of Rappler, an online news outlet in the Philippines dedicated to investigative journalism and fact-checking, and a prominent member of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN). Before establishing Rappler, Ressa served as a bureau chief for CNN in Manila and Jakarta. She has authored several books, with her latest memoir titled “How to Stand Up to a Dictator.”

Ressa is celebrated for her staunch advocacy for freedom of speech, holding authorities accountable, and addressing the responsibilities of major online platforms and social networks. Due to her work, she has faced numerous threats and persecution by Philippine authorities. In her Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, she highlighted the critical role of combating disinformation, and underscored the importance of investigative journalism and fact-checking.

“Without facts, you can’t have truth. Without truth, you can’t have trust. Without trust, we have no shared reality, no democracy, and it becomes impossible to deal with our world’s existential problems”, said Ressa.

GlobalFact is a conference focused on fact-checking, organized by the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) and coordinated by the Poynter Institute in Florida, USA. The Sarajevo edition of GlobalFact is being organized with local support from the Citizens Association “Why not” (UG “Zašto ne”), the organization behind the fact-checking websites Istinomjer and Raskrinkavanje.