Filipina journalist’s Nobel Peace Prize highlights struggle for democracy
Filipina journalist’s Nobel Peace Prize highlights struggle for democracy
MARIA RESSA
October 14, 2021
Filipina journalist Maria Ressa’s Nobel Peace Prize and her courageous reporting helps put a spotlight on the Philippine’s struggle for democracy and widespread criticism of President Rodrigo Duterte, Veronica Cusi writes.
By Veronica Cusi
New Canadian Media
The win of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize by a Filipino journalist brought the Philippine’s struggle for democracy to the international stage. The fact that the prize was for journalism, an embattled profession for many Filipinos, felt like a win for democracy advocates, even those in Canada.
Maria Ressa, a journalist whose media company has been openly critical of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, was named one of two Nobel Peace Prize winners this year. She shares the award with another freedom-fighting journalist, Dmitry Muratov of Russia, who is critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Oslo-based Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the two journalists “for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.”
Filipinos across the globe, including those in Canada, were expectedly ecstatic at the historic win ‒ the first for a Filipina and a win for Philippine democracy in general.
Comments (0)