“We are in the last two minutes of this game of democracy.”
Nobel laureate and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa doesn’t mince words.
Because our informational ecosystems favor incentive structures that reward the spread of lies over broadcasting truths, she explains, “If you don’t have facts, you can’t have truths; if you don’t have truths, you can’t have trust.”
Ressa joined the largest gathering of CEOs in New York City at YPO EDGE to discuss how business leaders can help shift the destabilizing scope of media disinformation and stop encumbering democracy around the world.
“It demands moving from being passive consumers and users, to reclaiming citizenship,” Ressa stresses. “The degradation of American democracy is being felt globally. Where the U.S. goes, we all wind up going.”
“All of us, including our lawmakers, need to realize the problem of tech at a global scale,” she said. “Atomized choices lead to real-world harm.”
In the meantime, Ressa is focusing on legislation, working with other Nobel laureates and nearly 150 organizations to design a 10-point action plan that can stop surveillance for profit.
— Maria Ressa, Nobel Laureate and Rappler CEO
“If we don’t do something significant right now, we will end up electing more illiberal leaders across the globe, who will crumble the institutions of democracy in their countries.”
A business leader’s responsibility is to their shareholders, Ressa noted, then asked, “But where do we draw the line? As the president of your company, it is your responsibility to draw lines between the amoral, the immoral and the evil?”
For Ressa, World War III is upon us.
“It’s in your minds,” she tells the crowd, scanning the faces in the dim, glowing light. “It’s in your emotions. And you are very powerful. You run organizations. This is it. The last two minutes, and we can do this, because where you go, the rest of the world goes.”
Also From YPO EDGE: Leadership, Strategy and the Future of Politics
“60 Minutes” Correspondent Lesley Stahl interviewed U.S. political strategists Karl Rove and David Axelrod about polarization and the future of America. The congenial and hilarious discussion highlighted Rove and Axelrod’s optimism for the future of American moderation. They discussed the historical analogues of today’s political landscape and the ways that U.S. politics might recover a sense of bipartisanship over the long term.
EDGE is YPO’s premier annual event and the largest gathering of CEOs in the world. For three days in New York City, more than 2,500 chief executives from 80 countries gather with influential thought leaders and experts to learn about and discuss critical topics in business and beyond. EDGE fosters a culture of trust, respect and inclusivity, where global leaders emerge with solutions to drive change and help shape our collective future. YPO EDGE returns to New York City in 2023 and 2024 and is open to all YPO members. Learn more about EDGE
Interested in joining this dynamic group of global leaders? Explore YPO membership here
