The award of the Nobel Peace Prize to two journalists, Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, comes at a time of growing assaults on an independent press across the world, as authoritarian governments extend their reach and the slogan of "fake news” is used to suppress dissenting views.
Ressa has faced multiple criminal charges for the way her news website Rappler has challenged the rule of President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines. Both she and Muratov, whose Novaya Gazeta newspaper has been a persistent critic of President Vladimir Putin of Russia, work under governments that use methods like repressive legislation and arrests to muzzle criticism.
Last year, both UNESCO and the Council of Europe issued reports deploring the erosion of media freedom. They noted growing police attacks on journalists covering protests, including intimidation and beatings, and the passage of so-called "fake news” laws in countries from Hungary to Russia that can be used to suppress legitimate journalism.