Last night, when I read that Maria Ressa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize along with Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, I felt secure in the knowledge that it would be Inquirer’s banner headline.
Unfortunately, your editorial staff did not think it was headline material and relegated the story to Page 4. Instead, curiously your headline was “Rock, Paper, Sara,” which I think at best is a stretch from the game “Rock, Paper, Scissors.”
I would like to think Maria Ressa embodies the Inquirer’s slogan of “Balanced News and Fearless Views.” When the Nobel Committee chose Ressa, they underlined how she “uses freedom of expression to expose abuse of power, use of violence and growing authoritarianism in her native country the Philippines.” Is that not what Inquirer has always stood for? And the award given to her a reason to celebrate?
When the Inquirer can put front coverage of Manny Pacquiao’s boxing loss, I cannot understand why Maria Ressa’s win didn’t make the cut.
When I told my teenage kids of the historic news, they were visibly thrilled. It is my hope and wish that our youth see how important it is to stand up for truth and give credit where credit is due.
Danielle Marie Lizares, Makati City