Two journalists conferred with Nobel Peace Prize 2021

Bhubaneswar: The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov – two journalists – for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression.

The peace laureates Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov are receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia, announced the Nobel Committee today.

Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov are representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions, the panel added.

Free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies and war propaganda. The Norwegian Nobel Committee is convinced that freedom of expression and freedom of information help to ensure an informed public.

These rights are crucial prerequisites for democracy and protect against war and conflict. The award of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov is intended to underscore the importance of protecting and defending these fundamental rights.

Dmitry Muratov has defended freedom of speech in Russia under increasingly challenging conditions for decades. In 1993, he was one of the founders of the independent newspaper Novaja Gazeta.

Novaja Gazeta’s fact-based journalism and professional integrity have made it an important source of information on censurable aspects of Russian society rarely mentioned by other media. Since inception of the newspaper, six of its journalists have been killed so far.

Despite the killings and threats, Novaja Gazeta’s editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov has refused to abandon the newspaper’s independent policy. He has consistently defended the rights of journalists.

On the other hand, Maria Ressa uses freedom of expression to expose abuse of power, use of violence and growing authoritarianism in her native country, the Philippines. In 2012, she co-founded Rappler, a digital media company for investigative journalism.

As a journalist and the Rappler’s CEO, Maria Ressa has shown herself to be a fearless defender of freedom of expression. Rappler has focused critical attention on the Duterte regime’s controversial, murderous anti-drug campaign.