Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Campaigning journalists given Nobel Peace Prize
TWO journalists have won the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for their fight for freedom of expression in countries where media outlets have faced persistent attacks and reporters have been murdered.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee said the battles of Maria Ressa, of the Philippines, and Dmitry Muratov, of Russia, are vital in promoting peace.
“Free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies and war propaganda,” said Berit Reiss-Andersen, chair of the committee. “Without freedom of expression and freedom of the press, it will be difficult to successfully promote fraternity between nations, disarmament and a better world order to succeed in our time,” she said.
Ms Ressa in 2012 co-founded Rappler, a news website that has focused “critical attention on the (President Rodrigo) Duterte regime’s controversial, murderous anti-drug campaign”, the Nobel committee said.
She and Rappler “have also documented how social media is being used to spread fake news, harass opponents and manipulate public discourse”.
Reacting to the Nobel news, Ms Ressa told Norway’s TV2 channel that “the government (of the Philippines) will obviously not be happy”. She added: “I am happy on behalf of my team and would like to thank the Nobel committee for recognising what we are going through.”
The award-winning journalist was convicted last year of libel and sentenced to jail in a decision seen as a major blow to press freedom.
Mr Muratov was one of the founders of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta in 1993.
“Novaya Gazeta is the most independent newspaper in Russia today, with a fundamentally critical attitude towards power,” the committee revealed.
“The newspaper’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.”
Mr Muratov said he would use his win to help independent journalists who have faced growing pressure from the authorities, including those officially declared “foreign agents” a designation that implies additional government scrutiny.