Princeton University President, Christopher L. Eisgruber, has once again highlighted the risks involved with social media and the spread of misinformation. His decision to select Maria Ressa’s book, “Cyberwar: How Russian Hackers and Trolls Helped Elect a President – What We Don’t, Can’t, and Do Know” as the pre-read for the incoming freshman class, received backlash on social media platforms. Despite the criticism, Eisgruber remains firm in his stance on the importance of educating students on media literacy and the dangers of fake news. This incident serves as yet another reminder of the significant role social media plays in shaping public opinion and the need for critical analysis of information shared online.
Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa, a Princeton alumna, has written a book titled “How to Stand Up to a Dictator,” which has been chosen as the annual pre-read for the university’s incoming Class of 2027. Ressa had co-founded the digital news platform Rappler, through which she hoped to build communities of action for better governance and stronger democracies. However, she soon realized that social media could have negative effects on a nation’s institutions, culture, and populace. Ressa’s book is an invitation to join the fight against the corrosive effects of online media platforms and the algorithms that drive them. In his State of the University address, President Christopher L. Eisgruber also highlighted the negative effects of social media, calling the media landscape flooded with the intellectual equivalent of irresistible junk food.
Ressa’s book documents her work investigating human rights abuses, corruption, and authoritarianism under the regime of Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines. The book highlights how social media and disinformation have eroded democracy not only in the Philippines but also around the world. Ressa’s own reporting for Rappler focused on the spread of government propaganda online. She has faced attacks and arrest by Duterte’s government, which led to her being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021.
Ressa studied at Princeton after attending high school in Toms River, New Jersey. She then moved back to the Philippines on a Fulbright Scholarship before working as a correspondent for CNN, heading the network’s bureaus in Manila and Jakarta, Indonesia. Ressa has been a prominent face at Princeton in recent years, delivering the virtual commencement speech in 2020 and being honored with the Woodrow Wilson Award in 2022.
The pre-read tradition at Princeton marks its 10th anniversary this year, with previous titles chosen by Eisgruber reflecting the previous year’s events or his personal interests. The chosen books aim to engage freshmen with pressing issues that they are preparing to tackle. Williams’s book was chosen amid the rising footprint of technology, and Whittington’s book addressed the debate about free speech on campus. Lepore’s book came after the George Floyd protests, and Morton’s book discussed the ethical and emotional tolls disadvantaged college students face when seeking upward mobility. Salama’s book was announced after many COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
During orientation week, members of the incoming class gather to discuss the pre-read with the author in a large auditorium on campus. After the discussion, smaller groups discuss the pre-read in more detail.
