Journalists from across the world took to Twitter to celebrate as two of their own – Philippines' Maria Ressa and Russia's Dmitry Muratov shared the Nobel Peace Prize for 2021.
Announcing the awards on 8 October, the body said that they have bagged the award “for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”
Senior journalists from India tweeted that it was a powerful message for the field, and a boost for journalists who are fighting for democracy.
Journalists also pointed that both Ressa and Muratov were not only the most courageous journalists but also principled of the lot.
Incidentally, Ressa is the first person from her country to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
'Reporting In Public Interest Dangerous'
While many lauded, others also pointed that their award is a reminder that in most countries, reporting in the interest of the public is "dangerous and requires a lot of courage."
Others pointed the importance of such awards for a democracy – including pro-democracy journalists – in a world filled with trolls, legal harassment and surveillance.
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