Pretty Good Podcast Episode 2: Cyber libel and press freedom in the Philippines

Pretty Good Podcast: Discussions on Digital Rights

The second episode of Pretty Good Podcast delves deeper into the Philippine court cyber libel ruling against journalists Maria Ressa and Reynaldo Santos Jr. of Rappler, a Philippine news organisation known to be critical of incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte. We ask John Nery, a columnist for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and co-founder of the Consortium on Democracy and Disinformation: What does this case mean for press freedom, and what are the wider implications of this ruling for freedom of expression online?

The episode also features interviews with Filipinos who participated in a physical protest against the pending Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which has received criticism for its vague provisions on what constitutes as terrorism and that can target critical activists, journalists, and members of civil society.