A Thousand Cuts

FRONTLINE’s A Thousand Cuts introduces viewers to Maria Ressa, the Nobel Prize-winning journalist who dared to champion press freedom in the face of President Rodrigo Duterte’s authoritarian crackdown on the news media in the Philippines. Directed by Ramona Diaz, the documentary takes us inside the escalating conflict between the government and Ressa’s online news site, Rappler, highlighting systems of oppression fostered by autocratic regimes and fueled by profit-driven social media networks. Despite near-constant threats of violence, Ressa remains unflinchingly focused on holding Duterte accountable for his actions and rhetoric. With astonishing access and chilling precision, A Thousand Cuts is a journalistic profile in courage for our time and a cautionary tale for global press freedom straining against the rise of populist autocracies around the world. Ressa’s story is framed by one seemingly simple question: “What do you do when the President lies?” For its bold answer, we honor A Thousand Cuts with a Peabody Award.