BY ALAINA INOUYE
COMMUNICATIONS EDITOR IN-TRAINING
Early this October, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, two journalists who fight for freedom of expression. Ressa and Muratov were chosen for their work in the Philippines and Russia.
Maria Ressa is a journalist who co-founded a digital journalism company called Rappler in 2012. Since then, she has written about authoritarianism in the Philippines and how social media is used to spread propaganda to the public. Rappler also has been key in spreading information about the deaths caused by the anti-drug campaign spread by the Duterte regime.
Dmitry Muratov was recognized for his work in Russia. He helped found a newspaper called Novaya Gazeta in 1993, and he has been the editor in chief of this newspaper for 24 years. The Novaya Gazeta has published articles on many important topics such as the actions of the Russian military and corruption. Throughout the Novaya Gazeta’s history, six journalists have been murdered. Despite the risks, Muratov has continued to fight for freedom of speech.
These two journalists are two examples of many courageous journalists continuing to fight for freedom of expression. The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognizes all the courageous journalists that Ressa and Muratov represent. They also state their belief that fighting for freedom of speech is a crucial part of fighting for peace. In their press release, they wrote “[Freedom of expression and freedom of information] 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.”
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