Patricia Evangelista is a trauma reporter and an award-winning investigative journalist best known for her work with Rappler, a top news site in the Philippines founded by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa. Working in a country where the government enables disinformation and persecutes journalists, Evangelista’s unwavering commitment to truth has left an indelible mark on the world of journalism. Evangelista’s work over the past decade has ignited conversations and challenged perspectives. She is the author of Some People Need Killing, a powerful on-the-ground account of a nation careening into violent autocracy that was named TIME‘s #1 Nonfiction Book of 2023.
POWERFUL KEYNOTE SPEAKER
As a keynote speaker, Evangelista brings her unique blend of passion, intellect, and a keen understanding of the human experience to the stage. Her ability to navigate complex issues with empathy and insight has made her a sought-after voice on topics ranging from social justice and human rights to the intricacies of conflict and post-conflict societies. During a time of rising global authoritarianism, Evangelista illuminates the historical events that shaped the complex relationship between the Philippines’ government and its people and the connections between Duterte, Putin, and Trump.
Evangelista captivates audiences with her distinctive storytelling style, combining meticulous research and emotional resonance. Her courage in confronting uncomfortable truths, standing up to autocracy, and shedding light on marginalized voices makes her a beacon for those who believe in the power of journalism to effect positive change.
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ACCLAIMED AUTHOR
Evangelista’s book, Some People Need Killing, was named the #1 Nonfiction Book of 2023 by TIME and one of the Top 10 books of the year by the New York Times. Numerous other publications, including The New Yorker, The Economist, and NPR, highlighted the book on their “Best of 2023” lists.
In Some People Need Killing, Evangelista reports on the Philippines’ drug war and Duterte’s assault on the country’s struggling democracy. For six years, Evangelista had the distinctive beat of chronicling the killings carried out by police and vigilantes in the name of Duterte’s war on drugs—a war that has led to the slaughter of thousands. She immersed herself in the world of killers and survivors and captured the atmosphere of fear that takes hold when an elected president decides that some lives are worth less than others.
The book takes its title from a vigilante, whose words seemed to reflect the psychological accommodation that most of the country had made: “I’m really not a bad guy,” he said. “I’m not all bad. Some people need killing.”
“In this haunting work of memoir and reportage, Patricia Evangelista both describes the origins of autocratic rule in the Philippines, and explains its universal significance. The cynicism of voters; the opportunism of Filipino politicians; the appeal of brutality and violence to both groups; all of this will be familiar to readers, wherever they are from.” —Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism
“An unthinkably brave book to have written. Compelling and important.” —Tara Westover
“In short, clear sentences packed with faithfully recorded details, she reveals the nature of unbridled cruelty with a relentless insightfulness that I have not encountered since the work of Hannah Arendt.” – Andrew Solomon
AWARD-WINNING TRAUMA JOURNALIST
Patricia Evangelista’s reporting on armed conflict and the aftermath of Super Typhoon Haiyan was awarded the Kate Webb Prize for exceptional journalism in dangerous conditions. She was a Headlands Artist in Residence, a recipient of the Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant, and a fellow of the John Logan Nonfiction Program, the Marshall McLuhan Fellowship, the De La Salle University Democracy Discourse Series, the New America Fellows Program, and the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. Her work investigating President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war has earned several local and international accolades.