First Rappler+ town hall spotlights Chinese espionage investigative reports

MANILA, Philippines – Our journalism thrives because of a community that believes in our people and our work. We want to keep that bond alive and meaningful with regular gatherings with our biggest supporters, the Rappler+ community.

The Rappler team is excited to announce that we will be holding quarterly Rappler+ Town Halls, designed to bring our community together for a few hours of camaraderie, exchange of ideas, and learning.

Our first town hall will be on March 27, at the Rappler newsroom in Pasig City. During this gathering, Rappler+ members will get to hear more about one of our recently published investigative reports and exciting new community initiatives. 

Spotlight on Chinese espionage investigative series

“Out of the Echo Chambers: A Rappler+ Town Hall,” the theme of the March 27 town hall, reflects a growing concern in today’s information landscape: echo chambers or isolated spaces where the same voices, opinions, and narratives are repeated until they appear hard truth. When public discourse is confined to these spaces, disinformation can thrive and meaningful solutions become harder to find.

Rappler believes that stepping outside echo chambers opens the door to something more productive — authentic conversations, verified facts, and solutions that move communities forward. 

The March 27 town hall is designed to reflect such principles through a series of talks and conversations featuring Rappler journalists, partners, and community leaders.

The program includes:

• Opening reflections by Rappler head of community Pia Ranada on the importance of civic spaces in a time of polarization and conflict, to be followed by a community update on what lies ahead for the Rappler+ membership program
• A special investigative briefing by Rappler reporter Bea Cupin, who will discuss the findings and challenges behind her recent reporting on Chinese spy operations involving Filipinos in the military, which concludes with a fireside chat with Bea and Rappler executive editor Glenda M. Gloria
• Stories from The Nerve, RappLearn, MovePH, and BrandRap, highlighting the tools and collaborations helping strengthen civic engagement and community participation
• A presentation from BBDO Guerrero, Rappler’s partner in advancing media literacy and other public-interest campaigns.

The event, which will run from 2 pm to 5 pm, is exclusive to Rappler+ members. 

Readers who wish to attend can become part of the Rappler community by signing up for Rappler+ membership and emailing plus@rappler.com for slots to the event. Become a Rappler+ member at rappler.com/plus

Apart from the town halls, we’ve also just launched the Live Jam Access Pass, which allows Rappler+ monthly and annual subscribers to attend Rappler’s iconic Live Jam performances in person at the newsroom.

These two new Rappler+ benefits continue to come with access to member-only newsletters, and a growing fellowship of readers committed to supporting independent journalism. 

What is Rappler+?

Rappler+ is the premium membership program of Rappler. Rappler+ members receive full access to exclusive content, members-only events, and opportunities to engage directly with the newsroom.

Through this subscription, readers help sustain independent journalism in the Philippines while becoming part of a community committed to truth, accountability, and civic participation.

At a time when journalism faces new challenges, from AI systems scraping newsroom work to social media platforms sidelining verified reporting in favor of algorithm-driven content, independent newsrooms need stronger communities around them. Investigative reporting, fact-checking, and public-interest journalism remain critical engines of democracy.

Rappler+ members play a vital role in powering that work. – Rappler.com