Nobel Peace Prize 2021 Goes To Two Journalists For Working Fiercely On Freedom Of Expression
Both Ressa and Muratov have faced attempts by their respective governments to silence their publications.
The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression. The Nobel committee praised Ressa and Muratov for ¡°their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia."
Was last won in 1935
¡°They 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,¡± it said in a press release following the announcement on Friday.
The prize is the first for journalists since German Carl von Ossietzky won it in 1935 for revealing his country¡¯s secret post-war rearmament programme.
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Maria Ressa
Ressa is the founder, CEO and executive editor of Rappler, an online news outlet covering the policies and actions of President Rodrigo Duterte¡¯s regime in the Philippines.
The Nobel committee said she ¡°uses freedom of expression to expose abuse of power, use of violence and growing authoritarianism in her native country, the Philippines.¡± ¡°I am in shock,¡± Ressa told a live broadcast by Rappler after learning of the award.
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Dmitry Muratov
Muratov founded the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta in 1993 and has been its editor-in-chief for 24 years. It is today one of the very few independent media outlets in Russia, and has seen six of its journalists murdered during that time. He is renowned for in-depth expos¨¦s of power abuses, human rights abuses and corruption under the Russian regime.
Both Ressa and Muratov have faced attempts by their respective governments to silence their publications.
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Kremlin response
Soon after the announcement, the Kremlin congratulated the Russian journalist despite the fact that his newspaper has often criticised Russian authorities.
¡°We can congratulate Dmitry Muratov,¡± Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. ¡°He persistently works in accordance with his own ideals, he is devoted to them, he is talented, he is brave,¡± he added.
Last year¡¯s prize went to the World Food Programme for its efforts to combat hunger and food insecurity around the globe.
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The award
The award is accompanied by a gold medal and 10 million Swedish kronor (over $1.1m). The prize money comes from a bequest left by the prize¡¯s creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who died in 1896.
On Monday, the Nobel Committee awarded the prize in physiology or medicine to Americans David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian for their discoveries into how the human body perceives temperature and touch.
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