One co-founded an investigative journalism website in the Philippines, the other has been running Russia’s only independent daily newspaper for nearly a quarter of a century. Two courageous journalists who, despite threats and harassment, wage a relentless fight to uncover the truth in their country, were jointly awarded the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.
With the choice for Maria Ressa from website Rappler and Dmitri Muratov from Novaja Gazeta sends a clear message to the Nobel Committee: free, independent and fact-based journalism is vital to peace and democracy. “Without freedom of speech and freedom of the press, it is difficult to promote fraternization between nations, disarmament and a better world order,” President Berit Reiss-Andersen said in the announcement.
There have been years when the Nobel Committee has come under fire for designating the wrong winner: Henry Kissinger (in 1973), Menachem Begin (1978) and FW de Klerk (1993) should have never been awarded the prize. The allocation to the EU (2012, during the euro crisis) and Barack Obama (2009, after 1 year of presidency) was also criticized.
The Nobel Committee is aware of the recurring criticism and has carefully considered its mandate. The award this time is “firmly anchored in the terms of Alfred Nobel’s will,” said the chairman.
This year’s two laureates are journalists who ‘lighten tiles’ at the risk of their own lives. The Philippine Ressa imposed Rappler exposing how Rodrigo Duterte used online trolls to spread fake news when he was still a presidential candidate. She also critically reported on his violent struggle against drugs. She pays a high price for her independence: she herself was attacked by trolls, her editorial office had to be protected and she was convicted of defamation.
Muratov and his editors, who are closely followed by the Putin regime in Russia, are also at risk from their work. Six journalists from Novaja Gazeta have since been murdered, including Anna Politkovskaya, who wrote revealing articles about the role of the Russian army in Chechnya.
Ressa and Muratov receive the award primarily as a token of recognition for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia. “At the same time, they are representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world where democracy and freedom of the press are becoming increasingly unfavorable,” said the Nobel Committee.
Independent journalism takes courage. Who does not remember the murder of Jamal Khashoggi from The Washington Post, who never returned in 2018 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. The International Federation of Journalists publishes shocking numbers every year. Last year, 65 journalists in 16 countries were killed and at least 229 were imprisoned. Most are unknown outside their own country.
Journalists in democratic countries are also under heavy pressure at this time. The rise of fake news and misinformation is fueling an inflation of journalism: on social media, the integrity and professionalism of the media are questioned. Unfortunately, threats are no longer an exception in the Netherlands either. This Nobel Prize is a welcome boost for all journalists in the world.