Journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their fight to defend freedom of expression.
The committee called the pair “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”.
The winners of the prestigious prize, worth 10m Swedish krona ($1.1m), were announced at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo.
They were selected out of 329 candidates.
The prize is intended to honor an individual or organization that has “done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations.”
Investigative journalist Maria Ressa who defends press freedom in the Philippines under difficult political conditions and high personal risks, was the recipient of this year’s Hrant Dink Award.
Maria Ressa, journalist and co-founder of investigative news outlet Rappler, has worked tirelessly to expose abuses of power, government corruption and a campaign of violence in the Philippines. She has also taken her fight for freedom of expression to the global stage, exposing the ways in which Facebook and other social platforms have been used to spread fake news.
Dmitry Muratov is editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, a Russian newspaper that publishes critical coverage of the Kremlin.
