Journalism Against The Autocratic Playbook | DLD26 (Maria Ressa)

In her highly engaging DLD26 talk, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa shows why information integrity is crucial for defending democracy against dictators and autocrats. Ressa, the founder of the Philippine news portal Rappler.com, walks us through the brutal reality of surveillance‑technology models, biased AI that silences marginalized voices, and the relentless seeding‑and‑amplification cycles that turn a single lie into accepted fact. She also illustrates how “narrative warfare” is systematically used to polarize societies, dismantle shared realities, and fuel the rise of authoritarian regimes. Ressa’s message is clear: unchecked technology, driven by profit over facts, is weaponizing information and compromising human agency. The Nobel laureate also proposes solutions rooted in “radical collaboration” across journalism, technology, and communities. These can be global coalitions for fact-checking and funding independent journalism, or tools like Nerve, a Rappler spin-off that “literally tracks the nervous system of our public information ecosystem”, Ressa explains. Solutions must prioritize privacy, inclusivity, and truth, she emphasizes – and urges governments, tech companies, and citizens to work together to defend democratic values. Watch this powerful DLD Munich talk to understand how you can be part of the fight for truth and to explore concrete tools to rebuild a shared, fact-based public sphere. Discover inspiring talks from past DLD Conferences and catch the highlights on the this channel. Stay updated with thought leaders, groundbreaking ideas, and key moments from our events! For news, upcoming events and more interesting topics make sure to also visit: DLD Website: https://dld-conference.com DLD on LinkedIn:   / dld-conference   DLD on Instagram:   / dldconference   DLD on Twitter:   / dldconference   DLD on Facebook:   / dldconference