Rappler's Maria Ressa, Dmitry Muratov Wins 2021 Nobel Peace Prize

They won the prize "for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace."

Ressa has been the target of attacks for her media organization's critical coverage of President Rodrigo Duterte's administration and a key leader in the global fight against disinformation.

This is the first Nobel Prize for a Filipino. In 2007, the Nobel Peace Prize went to former US Vice President Al Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a team of climate scientists which included former Ateneo president Fr Jett Villarin.

The award-giving body also acknowledged Muratov, one of the founders of the independent newspaper Novaja Gazeta, for his decades of defending "freedom of speech in Russia under increasingly challenging conditions."

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said the newspaper is "the most independent newspaper in Russia," publishing critical articles on "corruption, police violence, unlawful arrests, electoral fraud and 'troll factories,' to the use of Russian military forces both within and outside Russia."

"Free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies, and war propaganda," the committee said in a press release.

"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 protection 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."

They are the latest journalists to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the world's most prestigious political accolade.