Rappler was founded as an online news organization by journalists Maria Ressa, Glenda Gloria, Chay Hofileña and Beth Frondoso.
It started in 2011 as a Facebook page called “Move.PH,” now Rappler’s citizen journalism arm, and later became Rappler when it launched its website in January 2012.
Its board members are former media executive Manny Ayala (chair), Ressa (president), Gloria (vice president), and Raymund Miranda (treasurer).
In 2015, Rappler Holdings Corp., parent company of Rappler Inc., reported that two foreign companies — North Base Media and Omidyar Network — had invested in its company in the form of Philippine depositary receipts or PDRs. The Securities and Exchange Commission approved both deals.
North Base Media is an investment company founded by journalists led by Marcus Brauchli, who headed the newsrooms of The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.
Omidyar Network is an investment company created by entrepreneur and philanthropist Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay.
In a blog post dated Oct. 28, 2016, pro-Duterte columnist Rigoberto Tiglao criticized Rappler for its failure to disclose the amount of investments brought in by the two foreign companies.
Tiglao also slammed Rappler for using PDRs, which he said “defy the Constitution’s limits on foreign investments in certain industries.”
Duterte accusation
In his State of Nation Address in July 2017, President Duterte accused Rappler of being owned by Americans, suggesting that the media company violated the Constitution.
Last Oct. 12, Mr. Duterte claimed that the Central Intelligence Agency was funding Rappler.
On Nov. 7 last year, Assistant Presidential Communications Secretary Mocha Uson asked Communications Secretary Martin Andanar to remove Rappler as a member of the Malacañang Press Corps and be reclassified as social media under her jurisdiction.
Rappler claims its online reach has grown to some 10 million website visitors a month and more than 40 million page views a month.
It claims its Facebook page has 3.59 million followers, while its Twitter account has 2.94 million followers.
Rappler, which started with 12 people, now employs more than a hundred workers. Its operations have also expanded to Indonesia. —INQUIRER RESEARCH
Sources: Rappler, omidyar(dot)com, rigobertotiglao(dot)com