Dear Reader, What did courage look like to you in 2025? For us at Rappler, courage looked like choosing to learn, even when it was uncomfortable, and demanded work over ease. This year, we doubled down on that commitment by investing in the next generation: eight young campus journalists completed our four-month fellowship, learning the craft directly inside our newsroom. Through RappLearn, our online learning platform, we also broadened our mission to strengthen digital literacy and critical thinking. Just last weekend, we held our first in-person AI Masterclass. If you joined us (we were fully booked!) or helped spread the word, thank you. There’s more to come. Courage also meant gathering in person to learn from each other. Hundreds of advocates filled our most ambitious Social Good Summit yet, where Amal and George Clooney and Ukrainian human rights defender Oleksandra Matviichuk reminded us of the power of hope in the face of violence and uncertainty. (You can now watch the SGS sessions in full here.) Courage showed up in the streets. Across the Philippines, hundreds of thousands demanded accountability after a series of corruption investigations pulled back the curtain on systemic abuses. (We don’t want 2025 to end without speaking to you about this in person 👀 Join us on December 10 for an exclusive Rappler+ newsroom briefing on the flood control scandal.) 
Courage surfaced in the midterm elections too. A story that began with a series of citizen reports, shared on the Rappler app and raised during a MovePH Kapihan, helped expose Primewater and its ties to political power. That collective vigilance helped weaken the grip of a dynasty at the polls. It is impossible to look back at 2025 and deny the impact of journalism. Nearly five years after the Nobel, the work continues to prove its worth: empowering citizens, strengthening democracy, and pushing back against the darkness. But let me be clear: at the height of journalism’s impact, the forces working to dismantle it have only grown louder. This year, algorithms further de-prioritized news. AI supercharged disinformation networks. Online violence escalated, and as we know too well, online violence becomes real-world violence. Democracy is being attacked from within, dismantled piece by piece, lie by lie. This is the defining battle of our time: the fight to protect truth, trust, and democracy. What did courage look like for you in 2025? And what will courage look like in 2026? For us, courage has a face. And it is yours. You learned with us. You showed up. You stood with us. You voted with vigilance. You helped rebuild trust in a world flooded with doubt. You are the hope of our democracy. Can you believe Rappler’s turning 15? In 2026, we courage on — stronger, steadier, and more committed than ever. As we prepare for the year ahead, we ask you to stand with us. Please consider making a contribution via support.rappler.com. Every contribution helps us report, investigate, innovate, and defend the truth in spaces where it is most under threat. Support can also take the form of partnerships. Through your work, your school, your organization. Send me an email if you want to collaborate or bring RappLearn or our community programs to your space. You are our gift. You power this nation. Let’s keep going, Maria | 
