The Nobel Peace Prize 2021
NOBEL LAUREATES, 11 Oct 2021
The Norwegian Nobel Committee – TRANSCEND Media Service
Oslo, 8 Oct 2021 – The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2021 to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace. Ms Ressa and Mr Muratov are receiving the Peace Prize 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 in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions.
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, which she still heads. As a journalist and the Rappler’s CEO, 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. The number of deaths is so high that the campaign resembles a war waged against the country’s own population. Ms Ressa and Rappler have also documented how social media is being used to spread fake news, harass opponents and manipulate public discourse.
Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov has for decades defended freedom of speech in Russia under increasingly challenging conditions. In 1993, he was one of the founders of the independent newspaper Novaja Gazeta. Since 1995 he has been the newspaper’s editor-in-chief for a total of 24 years. Novaja Gazeta is the most independent newspaper in Russia today, with a fundamentally critical attitude towards power. 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. Since its start-up in 1993, Novaja Gazeta has published critical articles on subjects ranging from corruption, police violence, unlawful arrests, electoral fraud and ”troll factories” to the use of Russian military forces both within and outside Russia.
Novaja Gazeta’s opponents have responded with harassment, threats, violence and murder. Since the newspaper’s start, six of its journalists have been killed, including Anna Politkovskaja who wrote revealing articles on the war in Chechnya. Despite the killings and threats, editor-in-chief Muratov has refused to abandon the newspaper’s independent policy. He has consistently defended the right of journalists to write anything they want about whatever they want, as long as they comply with the professional and ethical standards of journalism.
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 Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov is intended to underscore the importance of protecting and defending these fundamental rights.
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. This year’s award of the Nobel Peace Prize is therefore firmly anchored in the provisions of Alfred Nobel’s will.
Go to Original – nobelprize.org
Tags: Journalism, Media, Nobel Peace Prize, Philippines, Russia
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A terrible decision, picking on an already demonised country, Russia, and pretending another dissident, (who supports 2% Navalny, a criminal) is some sort of hero, and adds to the usual western lies about the terrors of Russia. How on earth has this the slightest relation to peace???
Julian Assange is languishing in a UK prison under false accusations from the USA, really for daring to expose to the public US and other war crimes, and he is never even mentioned by the “free press” the West claims to support. Julian cares about peace, fairness, truth, not digging up political dirt on leaders, yet a Russian hack gets the Nobel Peace Prize, awarded, as it seems every time these days, by craven pathetic cowards wanting US∕UK favours.
Russia has indeed been demonized, I don’t believe that Navalny is a hero, and the treatment of Julian Assange by the US and UK is worse than deplorable. But none of this addresses the plight of journalists attempting to work independently in Russia and in constant danger of being suppressed or murdered. Haven’t we learned since the 1930s not to cover up abuses of power in societies whose values we may otherwise admire? It does not demonize the US to note that country’s imperialism and racism and Russia is not demonized by noting its tendencies toward authoritarianism and vigilantism.