How to stand Up to a Dictator

1. Personal Values Forge the Strength to Fight

You don’t know who you are until you’re forced to fight for it.

Building meaning. Life's meaning isn't stumbled upon; it's built through choices, commitments, loved ones, and cherished values. Early experiences, like moving to a new country and navigating different cultures, force self-discovery and shape identity. Embracing change and the courage to fail are crucial first steps in this process.

Drawing the line. Values, like those instilled by the Princeton Honor Code, simplify decisions by clearly defining good and evil. This moral clarity helps avoid situational ethics and provides a framework for action, even when facing difficult choices or external pressure. Standing up to unfairness, though uncomfortable, is an act of creation that moves life forward.

Self-awareness is key. Understanding personal history, confronting suppressed emotions like anger, and balancing ambition with empathy are vital for integrity. The goal is to achieve an "empty mirror," seeing the world without ego obstructing the view, and controlling who you are and who you want to be by making conscious choices based on core values.

2. Journalism's Core Mission: Truth and Accountability

Hold the line; that is the journalist’s duty.

Serving the public. Journalism is a calling rooted in the search for justice and the mission to hold power accountable. In emerging democracies, a strong, transparent, and trustworthy media is essential for survival, acting as a crucial check and balance against government overreach and corruption. Without sound facts and information, democracy cannot function.

Upholding standards. Good journalism is a professional discipline, relying on rigorous standards, ethics manuals, and collective judgment, not individual "objectivity." It means leaning on evidence and incontrovertible facts, even when it causes trouble with those in power, and resisting the temptation to create false equivalences for the sake of "balance." The goal is to create a more informed citizenry, not to win arguments or popularity contests.

Protecting the public sphere. Historically, news organizations acted as gatekeepers, legally and morally accountable for the information they distributed. A wall existed between business and editorial to prevent financial interests from influencing the news. This system ensured a shared reality based on agreed-upon facts, a stark contrast to the fragmented, manipulated information ecosystem of today.

3. Social Media: From Tool for Good to Weapon Against Democracy

The very platforms that deliver the news we need are biased against facts.

Early optimism. Initially, social media platforms like Facebook offered exciting possibilities for civic engagement and social change. They enabled crowdsourcing, community building, and rapid mobilization, playing a significant role in events like the Arab Spring and voter registration drives in the Philippines. There was genuine hope for their potential to strengthen democracy.

Shifting dynamics. However, the inherent design and business models of these platforms began to reveal a darker side. Prioritizing engagement and growth above all else, algorithms favored emotional, sensational content, conditioning users to prefer speed and virality over depth and accuracy. This fundamentally altered the information ecosystem, making lies spread faster and farther than facts.

Eroding foundations. The platforms' abdication of traditional gatekeeping responsibilities, coupled with their design that fragments reality into individual feeds, destroyed the shared factual basis necessary for democratic discourse. This shift empowered those willing to manipulate the system, paving the way for the rise of digital authoritarians and the insidious mass manipulation seen globally.

4. State-Sponsored Disinformation Manipulates Reality and Silences Critics

Lies repeated over and over become facts in this online ecosystem.

Weaponizing the internet. Governments and political actors quickly learned to exploit social media algorithms and networks for propaganda and control. Tactics evolved from simple online campaigns to sophisticated information operations involving fake accounts, bots, and paid influencers who spread half-truths and outright lies to manipulate public opinion and create a false sense of grassroots support (astroturfing).

Targeting truth-tellers. Independent journalists and news organizations became prime targets of these coordinated attacks. Online mobs, often incited by government-linked accounts, would barrage critics with hate speech, threats, and false accusations, creating a chilling effect designed to silence dissent and erode credibility. This systematic harassment aimed to redefine reality and normalize abusive behavior.

Global playbook. The tactics pioneered and refined in countries like the Philippines, with its high social media penetration and weak regulatory environment, became a playbook for authoritarians worldwide. By overwhelming facts with a firehose of lies and emotional content, these operations successfully polarized societies and shifted public perception on critical issues, demonstrating the devastating power of networked disinformation.

5. The Law Becomes a Weapon to Harass and Intimidate

This isn’t just about me, and it’s not just about Rappler. The message that the government is sending is very clear, and someone actually told our reporter this last night: ‘Be silent, or you’re next.’

Weaponization of lawfare. When online attacks and propaganda failed to silence independent media, governments resorted to weaponizing the legal system. Arbitrary charges, often based on flimsy or nonexistent legal grounds, were filed to drain resources, intimidate journalists, and create a narrative of criminality. This included:

• Revoking licenses to operate based on technicalities
• Filing numerous criminal cases (cyberlibel, tax evasion, securities fraud)
• Issuing arrest warrants and denying travel requests
• Using state resources to pressure lawyers and directors

Undermining rule of law. These legal attacks were not about justice but about harassment and control. By bending and breaking legal procedures, the government demonstrated its willingness to abuse power and erode the rule of law itself. The goal was to make examples of high-profile targets, sending a clear message to others who might dare to challenge authority.

Psychological toll. The constant threat of arrest, the financial burden of legal fees, and the uncertainty of the future create immense psychological pressure. However, experiencing the pettiness and injustice firsthand can also strengthen resolve, highlighting the importance of fighting back against a system that seeks to strip away fundamental rights.

6. Silence Is Complicity; Courage Is Essential for Resistance

Silence is complicity.

Choosing to speak. In the face of intimidation and attacks, remaining silent or compliant allows abuses to continue unchecked. While speaking up carries risks, it is an act of creation that challenges unfairness and pushes for change. The decision to confront bullies, whether in childhood or when facing state power, requires courage and a refusal to consent through silence.

Holding the line. The #HoldTheLine movement embodies the commitment to defend fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. It means refusing to be intimidated into backing down, exposing every abusive step taken by those in power, and standing firm on principles even when facing legal or physical threats. It is a collective act of resistance against attempts to erode democracy.

Finding strength. Courage isn't the absence of fear, but the choice to act despite it. Facing fears head-on, rather than running from them, provides the chance to conquer them. In times of crisis, leaning on core values, trusting in the goodness of others, and finding strength in community are vital for navigating uncertainty and maintaining the will to fight for what is right.

7. Fighting Back Requires Collaboration and Building Communities

Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate.

Building a team. No one can stand up to authoritarianism alone. Creating strong teams based on shared values, trust, and complementary skills is essential for resilience. The Rappler team, forged in crisis, exemplifies how collective intelligence and mutual support enable individuals to be more powerful together than the sum of their parts.

Communities of action. Moving beyond traditional journalism, the focus shifts to building communities that use information for civic engagement and social change. Initiatives like #FactsFirstPH demonstrate a whole-of-society approach, bringing together diverse groups—media, civil society, lawyers, researchers—to collectively fight disinformation and demand accountability.

Strength in numbers. Collaboration amplifies impact and provides a defense against targeted attacks. By linking arms and sharing resources, groups can counter the divide-and-conquer tactics of authoritarians and tech platforms. This collaborative mesh strengthens the distribution of facts, supports those under attack, and builds a collective defense for democracy.

8. Technology Platforms Prioritize Profit Over Public Safety

Violence has made Facebook rich.

Surveillance capitalism. The business model of major technology platforms, particularly Facebook, is based on extracting personal data ("primary extraction") and using it to manipulate user behavior for profit. This "surveillance capitalism" treats human lives as commodities, prioritizing growth and revenue above all else, including public safety and democratic integrity.

Algorithmic harms. Platform algorithms, designed to maximize engagement, inadvertently or intentionally amplify emotional, divisive, and extremist content. Features like "friends of friends" recommendations can radicalize users by pushing them into echo chambers. Internal research has shown that these systems "grow the problem," yet companies have failed to act decisively for fear of impacting profits or alienating powerful groups.

Lack of accountability. Despite mounting evidence of their harmful impact on societies worldwide, tech companies largely operate with impunity. They resist regulation, engage in extensive lobbying, and control access to data that could reveal the full extent of the problem. Their power to shape the information ecosystem and influence behavior poses a grave threat to democracies.

9. The Philippines Serves as a Global Warning and Testing Ground

Our problems are fast becoming your problems.

Petri dish for tactics. The Philippines, with its high internet penetration, active social media use, and weak regulatory environment, became an ideal testing ground for disinformation tactics. Methods refined there, from astroturfing to coordinated online attacks and the weaponization of social media for political gain, were later exported and replicated in other democracies globally.

Early warning signals. Events in the Philippines, such as the systematic use of social media in the 2016 elections and the subsequent crackdown on independent media, provided early warnings of the threats facing other nations. The country's experience demonstrated how quickly a democracy could be undermined when technology platforms are exploited by authoritarian-leaning leaders.

Global relevance. The fight for facts and democracy in the Philippines is not isolated; it is part of a global struggle against the rise of digital authoritarians and the corrosive impact of surveillance capitalism. Understanding the tactics used and the consequences faced in the Philippines offers crucial lessons and a roadmap for how other countries can identify and combat similar threats.

10. Embrace Fear and Believe in the Good to Survive and Resist

Don’t become a monster to fight a monster.

Facing fear. Living under constant threat and facing legal battles designed to intimidate is terrifying. However, allowing fear to dictate actions means giving power to the oppressor. Embracing fear, acknowledging vulnerability, and pushing through it are necessary steps to maintain agency and continue the fight.

Maintaining integrity. The goal of harassment is often to make the target act like the attacker – to lie, to break the law, to become corrupt. Resisting this pressure and choosing to live by core values, even when it is difficult and costly, is a powerful act of defiance. Refusing to become a criminal to fight a criminal preserves moral authority.

Finding hope. Despite witnessing immense cruelty and injustice, maintaining faith in the goodness of human nature is vital. Unexpected acts of kindness, the support of friends and strangers, and the courage of others fighting similar battles provide the strength and inspiration needed to persevere. Hope is found in collective action and the belief that a better future is possible.

11. Memory Fights Forgetting: History Can Be Rewritten by Lies

The struggle of man against power,” wrote Milan Kundera, “is the struggle of memory against forgetting.

Rewriting history. Disinformation networks actively work to distort historical narratives, downplay past abuses, and rehabilitate the image of authoritarian figures. By flooding social media with lies and propaganda, they create echo chambers where false histories are accepted as truth, particularly targeting younger generations who may lack direct memory of past events.

The danger of forgetting. When a society forgets its history, it becomes vulnerable to repeating past mistakes. The return of a dictator's son to power, fueled by a campaign that whitewashed his family's past, is a stark example of how the struggle against forgetting is central to the fight for democracy. Memory is a form of resistance against those who seek to control the present by manipulating the past.

Fighting for facts. Combating the rewriting of history requires a concerted effort to preserve and disseminate factual accounts. Journalism, research, and collective action are essential tools in this fight. By documenting abuses, exposing lies, and ensuring that facts reach the public, individuals and groups can push back against the forces that seek to erase memory and pave the way for renewed authoritarianism.

Last updated: May 5, 2025