Maria Ressa Quotes

I think journalism is important.

I think in many aspects the press does amazing things and helps a lot of people.

I am a big believer in the power of journalism; it's a heroic pursuit.

I have always argued that newspapers should not have any civic purpose beyond telling readers what is happening... A reporter who doesn't quickly tell readers what they most want to know - the score - won't last long. Better he should teach political science.

The power to mould the future of the Republic will be in the hands of the journalists of future generations.

A key purpose of journalism is to provide an adversarial check on those who wield the greatest power by shining a light on what they do in the dark, and informing the public about those acts.

The Freedom of Information Act isn’t used, for the most part, by the people. It’s used by Journalists … The information is not sought to bestow knowledge upon the people. It is used as a weapon.

The job of media is the accountability of government.

The point of journalism is to hold people in positions of power accountable.

The function of journalism is, primarily, to uncover vital new information in the public interest and to put that information in a context so that we can use it to improve the human condition.

Given the multiple crises we are living through, investigative journalism is all the more important.

The sole aim of journalism should be service.

I have always been of the opinion that the right kind of journalism is a critical part of our democracy.

We don't go into journalism to be popular. It is our job to seek the truth and put constant pressure on our leaders until we get answers.

They take journalism really seriously because they know the force that it is and can be.

The press is our chief ideological weapon.

I don't have any well-developed philosophy about journalism. Ultimately it is important in a society like this, so people can know about everything that goes wrong.

One of the most important roles of our journalists is to be watchdogs.

Being a reporter is at the very core of a democracy, being a free person in a free society.

The press are the representative of the people and they have a right to know, but they don’t have the right to know right now…. There is an art to telling the truth slowly.

The newspaper is a moral force second only to the church. It is a political power superior to parties. It is an instrument of justice coequal with the court.

There is no weapon stronger than the press.

I got 'The Red White and Blue' out of journalism. It puts you in touch with the world.

After working at the 'Guardian' for two decades, I feel I know instinctively why it exists. Most of our journalists and our readers do, too - it's something to do with holding power to account and upholding liberal values.

Journalism has become a form of idealism. It is no longer, first and foremost, function, craft, service - it is mission.