Maria Ressa is primarily a journalist who belongs to Filipino descent but currently works in the USA. She has been named the first independent Filipino Nobel Laureate. Currently, she is serving as the co-founder and CEO of her online news site named Rappler. Previous to this job, she spent two decades of her life while working as a lead investigative reporter in South Asia for CNN. She has recently been awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Dmitry Muratov.
Early Life
Maria Ressa was born and brought up in Manila in 1963. She lost her father at the age of one. After the death of her father, her mother moved to the United States of America while leaving her two daughters with the father’s family where she used to visit frequently. Later, her mother married another man who was of mixed ethnicity with Italian-American nationality. Her mother returned to the Philippines and took her children (two daughters out of whom one was Maria Ressa) to the United States.
At that time, Maria was ten years old. She was soon adopted by her stepfather and she took up his last name. Her parents moved to Toms River in New Jersey where Maria went to Toms River High School North. Maria went to Princeton University and studied molecular biology and theater. She attained her graduation with a degree of B.A. in English and got certified in theater and dance in 1986. She was also awarded a Fulbright fellowship which offered her to study political theater at the University of Philippines Diliman.
Maria Ressa Career
Maria began her career while doing the job at the government station PTV4. Later, she co-founded the independent production company named Probe in 1987. While being serving as the co-founder of the company, she continued working for CNN’s bureau chief in Manila until 1995. Later from 1995 to 200, she ran CNN’s Jakarta bureau. She was appointed as an investigative reporter in Asia where she attained her specialization in investigating terrorist networks.
From 2004, Maria was appointed as the head of the news division of ABC-CBN while being at her position for CNN and writing for The Wall Street Journal. In 2010, Ressa finally decided to leave the company without renewing her contract. Apart from this, she has tried various occupations such as teaching, author, and entrepreneurship as well.
Maria Ressa Biography |
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| Real Name | Maria Angelita Ressa |
| Birth Date | 2 October 1963 |
| Age (as of 2021) | 58 Years |
| Birth Place | Manila, Philippines |
| Nationality | Filipino, American |
| Profession | Journalist, Author, CEO of Rappler |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sun sign | Libra |
Physical Statistics |
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| Height | in feet inches – 5’ 5” – in Centimeters – 165 cm |
| Weight | in Kilograms – 54 kg – in Pounds – 119 lbs |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Body Type | Slim |
Family |
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| Father | – |
| Mother | – |
| Sister | – |
| Brother | – |
Qualification/Education |
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| School | Toms River North High School |
| College | Princeton University, University of the Philippines Diliman |
Relationship Status |
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| Marital Status | Single |
| Husband | None |
| Children | None |
Personal Life
Maria grew up in Manila and possesses a degree from Princeton University. The details of her spouse are unavailable at the moment but we will soon update this section. However, she has a sister named Marie Jane and is supposed to be focused on her professional life more than her personal life.
Maria Ressa Net worth
Maria Ressa is ranked among the top journalists who play an important role while being CEO and co-founder of “Rappler” most of her earning comes from her journalism career to which she is devoted at most. Her basic income is mostly from her role as co-founder at Rappler. She brought in a net worth of more than $5 million and is assumed to live a highly moderate life.
Trivia
- Maria is the author of two books. She has written books that are majorly based on the rise of terrorism in Southeast Asia. Both of her books were released in 2003 and 2013, respectively.
- Ressa has also spent a part of her career life teaching politics and the press for Princeton University. She has taught broadcast journalism at the University of the Philippines Diliman.
- Ressa established an online news site called Rappler in 2012. She was one of the co-founders of the news site who founded the site along with other three females and with the small team of 12 journalists and developers.
- The site has now become the first multimedia news channel or online website which has further received numerous national and international awards for its particular kind of portal.
