How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for Our Future

“As these numbers show and as Facebook admits, the Philippines is ground zero for the terrible effects that social media can have on a nation’s institutions, its culture, and the minds of its populace. Every development that happens in my country eventually happens in the rest of the world—if not tomorrow, then a year or two later.”

The metaphor “ground zero” shows the severity of the impact of social media on the Philippines. By comparing the country to the site of a catastrophic event, Ressa emphasizes the far-reaching and devastating consequences of social media’s influence. The all-encompassing inclusion of “a nation’s institutions, its culture, and the minds of its populace” highlights comprehensive nature of the damage inflicted by social media. The warning that the events in the Philippines are a harbinger of what will happen globally establishes the Philippines as a cautionary tale, developing the idea of The Philippines as a Harbinger of World Events.

“There are so many others persecuted in the shadows who have neither exposure nor support, under governments that are doubling down with impunity. Their accomplice is technology, the silent nuclear holocaust in our information ecosystem. We must treat its aftermath the way the world did after the devastation of World War II: creating institutions and agreements like NATO, the United Nations, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Today, we need new global institutions and a reiteration of the values we hold dear.”

Several times in the book, Ressa uses dramatic metaphors to convince readers of the seriousness of her subject matter and the urgency of the need to take action. Here, she compares technology that has allowed authoritarian regimes to weaponize social media and other digital tools in pursuit of power to a “silent nuclear holocaust”—imagery that is specifically designed to stop readers short. By comparing the current political climate to the horrors of WWII—“nuclear” brings up the atomic bombs the US dropped on Japan, while “holocaust” calls to mind the attempted genocide of the Jews—Ressa puts her arguments in the highest register of alarm.

“The joke about colonial rule is that the Philippines spent three hundred years in a convent and fifty years in Hollywood.”

This metaphorical comparison encapsulates the historical influences that shaped Philippine culture and society. Likening the country’s colonial experience to spending “three hundred years in a convent” is a joke that alludes to the profound impact of Spanish Catholic rule from the 16th to the late 19th century. The image evokes religious indoctrination, moral strictures, and a cloistered existence. In contrast, the reference to “fifty years in Hollywood” represents the period of American colonial rule from 1898 to 1946. This metonym, in which Hollywood stands in for all of the US, suggests the pervasive influence of American popular culture, consumerism, and the glamorized, superficial aspects associated with the film industry. The juxtaposition creates a stark contrast between the austere, spiritually-oriented Spanish colonial period and the more secular, materialistic American era. Ressa’s shorthand distills complex historical processes, capturing the essence of the Philippines’ colonial legacy. The exaggerated time frames (three hundred years, fifty years) also add a satirical tone, hinting at the absurdity and trauma of prolonged colonial subjugation.

“Later, I would realize that an orchestra was a perfect metaphor for a working democracy: the music gave the people our notes, our systems, but how you play, feel, and follow—and how you lead—that’s all up to you.”

Ressa compares a functioning democracy to an orchestra. This analogy operates on multiple levels, revealing insights about the nature of democratic participation and the interplay between individual agency and collective frameworks. Ressa likens the “music” of an orchestra to the foundational elements of a democratic system, such as laws, institutions, and shared values. Just as sheet music provides the basic structure and guidelines for an orchestral performance, democratic principles and institutions establish the parameters within which citizens operate. However, the true essence of democracy, like music-making, lies in the active participation and choices of individuals. The phrase “how you play, feel, and follow” suggests that citizens have the power to interpret and engage with democratic systems in their own ways, bringing their creativity, passion, and critical thinking to the process. At the same time, “how you lead” implies that individuals have the potential to shape the direction of their society.

“I didn’t have to remain that achievement-oriented child, the one alienated from myself, my past, and my emotions. The person I am is an act of creation; I can seize the past and transform all I have learned and turn it into something new. I control who I am and who I want to be.”

A reflective and empowering tone conveys Ressa’s personal growth and self-discovery. Calling her identity “an act of creation” emphasizes that selfhood is not fixed but rather a product of choices and actions. The repetition of “I” highlights her sense of agency and control over her life. Ressa also employs a parallel structure in the phrases “who I am” and “who I want to be,” reinforcing the idea that she has the power to shape her present and future. This passage touches on the themes of personal transformation, self-awareness, and the ability to break free from past limitations.

“I wanted to achieve an ‘empty mirror,’ a concept I took from a book about a Buddhist monastery: to stand in front of a mirror and see the world without my image obstructing the view. I wanted to know myself to such a degree that I could take myself out of the equation when approaching the world around me and responding to it. That is clarity—the ability to remove your self and your ego.”

Ressa uses the Buddhist idea of an “empty mirror” to illustrate her desire for self-awareness and objectivity. The image of standing in front of a mirror and seeing the world without one’s own reflection represents the ability to separate oneself from one’s ego and biases. Ressa’s use of the phrase “take myself out of the equation” further emphasizes her goal of approaching the world with clarity and impartiality. The introspective and aspirational tone creates intimacy as Ressa shares her personal quest for self-knowledge and understanding.

“Against all odds, the widow stood up against the dictator in 1986. The year I would graduate from Princeton, President Marcos, now in power for more than two decades, declared a snap election. Cory ran to challenge him. It was David against Goliath, good versus evil.”

Ressa employs a dramatic and symbolic tone to describe the political situation in the Philippines. By referring to Corazon Aquino as “the widow,” she emphasizes the personal tragedy and emotional weight behind Aquino’s decision to challenge Marcos. The phrase “against all odds” highlights the bravery and determination of Aquino in the face of a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Ressa uses the biblical allusion of “David against Goliath” to underscore the power imbalance between Aquino and Marcos, while also suggesting that Aquino, like David, had the strength and righteousness to overcome her adversary. The juxtaposition of “good versus evil” further reinforces the moral dimension of the conflict. This quote touches on themes of courage, justice, and the fight against oppression.

“Like the student orchestra of my youth, it was a group of people making music together, except this time it was the first page of history being created with tremendous impact. The systems, which needed to adapt to broadcasting breaking news, were only as powerful as the strengths and weaknesses of the people on the team.”

In a previous chapter, Ressa recounted her experience in her high school orchestra. Here, she compares the teamwork in a newsroom to that of a student orchestra. This simile highlights the harmony and coordination required to create something meaningful, whether it’s music or breaking news. The phrase “the first page of history” emphasizes the significance and immediacy of the work being done, while “tremendous impact” underscores the far-reaching consequences of their efforts. Ressa also touches on the theme of human potential and limitations, acknowledging that the systems in place are only as effective as the people running them.

“Society’s tendrils are invisible but can be like steel cables holding us in place.”

As Ressa contemplates gender and sexuality norms, she likens societal expectations to “tendrils” and “steel cables” that are “invisible”—suggesting that these pressures are often subtle and unspoken, yet their influence is pervasive and powerful. Like “steel cables,” societal constraints are strong and rigid, hindering personal growth and self-expression. As Ressa considers individual identity and the struggle to break free from conformity, her tone is somber and reflective; she acknowledges the challenges of navigating societal norms while staying true to oneself.

“What I was seeing in Indonesia was something I had seen in the Philippines and someday would see in countries around the world as the power of disinformation began to devastate the minds, and transform the behavior, of often less educated people or those less familiar with the internet. Education determines the quality of governance. An investment in education takes a generation to bear fruit.”

Ressa foreshadows the global impact of disinformation. By mentioning that she would see similar phenomena in other countries, she creates a sense of anticipation and emphasizes the widespread nature of the problem. Ressa also employs a cause-and-effect structure to highlight the relationship between education and the quality of governance: A lack of education makes people more susceptible to disinformation, which can have devastating effects on their minds and behavior. The author then underscores the importance of investing in education, using a metaphor (“bear fruit”) to emphasize that while the benefits may not be immediate, they are essential for the long-term well-being of a society. Ressa’s cautionary words serve as a warning about the dangers of disinformation and the critical role education plays in building resilient societies. By drawing parallels between Indonesia, the Philippines, and other countries, she underscores the universal nature of these challenges and the need for a concerted effort to address them.

“I always replace ‘objective’ with ‘good’ to describe a journalist. A good journalist doesn’t look for balance—as when, say, a world leader commits a war crime or outright lies to his or her citizenry—because that would create a false equivalence. When a journalist confronts the powerful, it is easier and safer to write it in ‘balanced’ way. But that’s a coward’s way out. A good journalist, for example, would not give equal time and space to known climate deniers and climate change scientists.”

Ressa juxtaposes the concepts of “objective” and “good” journalism. She argues that striving for balance in reporting can sometimes lead to false equivalence, especially when one side is clearly supported by facts and evidence while the other is not. Ressa uses strong language, such as “coward’s way out,” to convey her disapproval of journalists who prioritize balance over truth. The author also uses an example (climate deniers vs. climate change scientists) to illustrate her point, making it easier for the reader to understand the concept of false equivalence. Ressa’s tone is assertive and uncompromising, reflecting her belief in the importance of journalists standing up for the truth, even when it means challenging those in power.

“I promised our team transparency, accountability, and consistency because I wanted to create systems that would function regardless of personalities. Like the government, we needed to institutionalize systems that would work regardless of—and in spite of—personal connections.”

Ressa lists three key values: transparency, accountability, and consistency. The simplicity of this rhetorical approach emphasizes the importance of each value and creates a sense of unity and coherence in her leadership approach. The repetition of these terms also reinforces their significance in creating a fair and efficient system. Ressa then compares ABS-CBN to the government, highlighting the need for institutionalized systems that operate independently of personal connections. This simile underscores the importance of impartiality and fairness in both media and governance. The tone of the quote is assertive and determined, reflecting Ressa’s commitment to creating a transparent, accountable, and consistent work environment at ABS-CBN. Her words convey a sense of leadership and vision, as she aims to establish systems that prioritize fairness and efficiency over personal ties.

“Most of what I’m experiencing in 2022—the legal cases, the smear campaigns, the homophobic slurs, the vicious personal attacks—I have lived through before, on a far smaller scale. Though painful, it was good training. I smile as I write this because it did make me stronger and helped prepare me for today’s battles. When you try to change the system, it fights back.”

Ressa uses a series of examples—legal cases, smear campaigns, homophobic slurs, and personal attacks—to illustrate the challenges she faced in 2022. By listing these specific instances, she paints a vivid picture of the various forms of opposition and harassment she has encountered. However, her tone shifts from serious to slightly optimistic: She is smiling as she writes, showing her personal growth, resilience, and the strength she has gained from past challenges that have prepared her for the current battles. The final sentence, “When you try to change the system, it fights back,” personifies the system, presenting it as an entity that actively resists change. This literary device emphasizes the difficulty and opposition faced by those who attempt to challenge the status quo. The use of the second-person pronoun “you” also creates a sense of universality, implying that anyone who tries to enact change will face resistance.

“We imagined three interlocking circles—investigative journalism, technology, and community—on a Venn diagram, with Rappler at the center where they converged. My elevator pitch was ‘Rappler builds communities of action, and the food we feed them is journalism.’”

The geometric image of three interlocking circles in a Venn diagram illustrates Rappler’s core mission and values. The three circles represent investigative journalism, technology, and community, with Rappler positioned at the center, where these elements converge. This visual effectively conveys the interdependence and synergy of these three aspects in Rappler’s approach to journalism. In her “elevator pitch,” Ressa compares journalism to food that nourishes the communities of action built by Rappler. This metaphor emphasizes the essential role of journalism in informing and empowering citizens to take action and effect change in their communities. The tone of the quote is aspirational and purposeful, reflecting Ressa’s vision and dedication to using journalism as a tool for social change and community building.

“What made him different was that he repeatedly said he was willing to kill to make that happen. ‘When I said I’ll stop criminality, I’ll stop criminality,’ said one of the Philippines’ longest-serving mayors. ‘If I have to kill you, I’ll kill you. Personally.’ I held his gaze to see if he meant what he said. He did.”

Ressa uses direct quotation and personal anecdote to characterize the alarming and uncompromising nature of Rodrigo Duterte’s rhetoric and intentions. Duterte’s words provide a chilling insight into his willingness to use violence and extrajudicial means to achieve his goals. The repetition of “I’ll stop criminality” and the blunt, personal threat “If I have to kill you, I’ll kill you” underscore the intensity and sincerity of Duterte’s convictions. Ressa’s account of holding Duterte’s gaze and confirming his sincerity adds a layer of credibility and gravity. This personal interaction underscored the potential consequences of his leadership. Ressa’s somber and foreboding tone foreshadows the challenges and threats Ressa and Rappler would face under Duterte’s presidency. The use of the word “different” in the opening line also suggests a departure from the norms and expectations of political discourse, hinting at the unconventional and dangerous nature of Duterte’s approach.

“More worrying were the daily reports of deaths: bodies found in the streets of poor neighborhoods, eyewitnesses whispering about killers descending upon homes in the night. Duterte’s drug war had begun turning Manila into a real-world Gotham City, without a caped crusader.”

Ressa employs imagery and a popular cultural reference to convey the grim reality of Duterte’s drug war in Manila. By describing “bodies found in the streets” and “eyewitnesses whispering about killers,” she creates a sense of pervasive fear and violence. The comparison of Manila to “a real-world Gotham City” evokes the dark, crime-ridden fictional city from the Batman comics, underscoring the severity of the situation. However, Ressa notes that this real-life Gotham City lacks a “caped crusader,” suggesting that there is no hero to save the city from the violence and injustice. This absence of a savior figure heightens the sense of hopelessness and despair. Ressa’s tone is somber and foreboding, reflecting the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for action.

“Mark Zuckerberg’s decisions prioritizing company over country, of growth above all, added to the fact that lies are prioritized over facts, and have destroyed the information and trust ecosystem that gave birth to Facebook. When he accepts 1 percent disinformation on his site, it’s like saying it’s okay to have 1 percent virus in a population unchecked. Both can take over, and if not eradicated, they can ultimately kill.”

Ressa criticizes Mark Zuckerberg’s leadership and decision-making at Facebook. Juxtaposing “company over country” and “growth above all,” she lambasts Zuckerberg’s misplaced priorities. Ressa argues that the decision to prioritize “lies over facts” has eroded the trust and integrity that initially made Facebook successful. To illustrate the dangers of allowing even a small amount of disinformation on the platform, Ressa asks whether it would be acceptable to have “1 percent virus in a population unchecked.” This analogy is particularly effective as it taps into the reader’s understanding of how quickly a virus can spread and cause harm if left unaddressed, particularly given the recent history of the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of the word “unchecked” suggests a lack of responsibility and accountability on Facebook’s part. Ressa extends the virus analogy in the final sentence, warning that both disinformation and an unchecked virus “can take over, and if not eradicated, they can ultimately kill.” This serves as a dire warning about the potential consequences of allowing disinformation to spread unchallenged. The use of the word “kill” underscores the severity of the threat and the need for urgent action. Throughout the passage, Ressa’s tone is critical, urgent, and uncompromising. She directly condemns Zuckerberg’s actions and argues that his decisions have had far-reaching, damaging consequences for society. By using strong language and vivid analogies, Ressa seeks to convey the gravity of the situation and the need for immediate action to address the spread of disinformation on Facebook.

“It is hard to always see the thousand cuts in real time. Looking back, it should have been obvious that the checks and balances of our democracy were collapsing.”

Ressa employs the metaphor of “a thousand cuts” to describe the gradual erosion of democratic institutions and norms. This image evokes the idea of a slow, cumulative process that may not be immediately apparent but ultimately leads to significant damage. The phrase “in real time” emphasizes the difficulty of recognizing the gravity of the situation as it unfolds, suggesting that the full extent of the problem becomes clear only in retrospect. Ressa’s use of hindsight, indicated by “Looking back” and “it should have been obvious,” underscores the insidious nature of the threat and the importance of vigilance in defending democracy. The phrase “checks and balances” directly references the fundamental principles of democratic governance, highlighting the severity of the crisis.

“You always have the choice to be who you are. I choose—as I always have—to live by the values that define who I am. I will not become a criminal to fight a criminal. I will not become a monster to fight a monster.”

Ressa’s tendency to use strong language continues here, as she uses parallel structures to draw a distinction between herself and the people and systems that she covers through her journalistic work. While often government figures use corrupt practices, the spread of disinformation, or intimidation tactics, that mark them as “criminals” or “monsters,” Ressa is committed not to become like them. The idea that deep interaction with the seamier aspects of the world can transfer some of that same darkness onto the onlooker is an old one, popularized by the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche's famous adage that “if you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you”—here, Ressa is adamant that the same thing won’t happen to her.

“‘Yes,’ Chris said. ‘…Whether it’s manipulating voter opinion or disseminating propaganda, it’s more difficult to do that in countries like the US or Britain or Europe where there is robust regulatory action, there’s robust law enforcement…In countries…where corruption is rife, it creates an ideal petri dish type situation where you can experiment on tactics and techniques that you wouldn’t be able to do as easily in the West. And if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter, you won’t get caught. If it does work, then you can then figure out how to port that into other countries.’”

Cambridge Analytica whistleblower Christopher Wylie encapsulates the vulnerability of developing countries to digital manipulation: Countries with weaker regulatory frameworks and higher corruption levels become testing grounds for disinformation tactics. This idea supports Ressa’s broader argument about the global nature of the threat to democracy, showing how techniques refined in countries like the Philippines can then be deployed in Western democracies. The quote underscores the book’s emphasis on the interconnectedness of global information ecosystems and the need for international cooperation in combating digital threats to democracy.

“Facebook has a staggering ability to determine the fates of news organizations—of journalism itself, even. Today it has an internal ranking for news that is supposedly determined by algorithms; however, not only did a human code those algorithms, but Facebook decides whether a given user is fed more hate or more facts.”

This quote directly addresses one of the central themes of Ressa’s book: the outsized influence of Social Media’s Effects on Democracy and the flow of information, particularly that of Facebook. Ressa highlights the power imbalance between tech giants and traditional news organizations, as algorithms shape public discourse. This quote reflects the book’s broader argument about the need for greater accountability and transparency from social media companies, as their decisions have far-reaching implications for democracies worldwide.

“‘Ultimately, it’s surveillance capitalism that is deciding what journalism survives.’ Shoshana pounded it in. The technology companies are not satisfied with destroying democracy; left unchecked, they are capable of destroying much more.”

Ressa’s book warns about the dangerous influence of technology companies on journalism and democracy. By referencing “surveillance capitalism,” a term coined by Shoshana Zuboff, Ressa highlights how tech giants’ business models, based on data collection and targeted advertising, shape the media landscape. The passage suggests that these companies’ profit-driven algorithms determine which news stories gain traction, potentially undermining quality journalism. The stark warning about technology companies’ capability to destroy “much more” than democracy underscores the book’s urgent call for action against unchecked technological power.

“This is why propaganda networks are so effective in rewriting history: the distribution spread of a lie is so much greater than the fact-check that follows, and by the time the lie is debunked, those who believe it often refuse to change their views, matching social media’s impact on behavior in other parts of the world.”

A key mechanism by which social media undermines democracy is the rapid spread of misinformation. Ressa points out the asymmetry between the viral nature of false information and the limited reach of fact-checks, a phenomenon exacerbated by social media algorithms. The passage also touches on the psychological aspect of misinformation, highlighting how beliefs formed through exposure to false information can be resistant to correction. This reflects the book’s broader idea that technology is reshaping human behavior and challenging traditional notions of truth and facts in the digital age.