In a twisted saga of self-pity and delusion, Rappler, the perpetual purveyor of truth (or so they claim), has once again taken to the digital pulpit to beg for alms from the Filipino news consumers. Under the guise of defending press freedom, they cast themselves as valiant martyrs in a land supposedly overrun by dictators and scions of dictators.

But let’s break this down, shall we? Newsrooms threatened in the Philippines? Hardly. Even in the era of Duterte, dubbed the “punisher,” and the looming specter of a Marcos resurgence, freedom of the press has never been more vibrant – if you’re not Rappler, that is.

Blaming financial woes on the suppression of press freedom is as laughable as it is predictable. Maybe, just maybe, consumers aren’t flocking to Rappler’s doorstep because, well, they don’t trust them – and for good reason.

And the irony! Oh, the delicious irony of Rappler calling for unpaid interns and volunteers while their higher-ups swim in pools of foreign funding. Perhaps it’s time for Rappler to rethink their financial priorities and pay their hardworking staff instead of relying on the goodwill of unpaid labor and the pockets of their dwindling loyalists.