Statement on Nobel Peace Prize Recipients Maria A. Ressa and Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov

I congratulate Maria Ressa of the Philippines and Dmitry Muratov of Russia for the much-deserved honor of being named this year's winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. Like so many journalists around the world, Ressa and Muratov have pursued the facts, tirelessly and fearlessly. They have worked to check the abuse of power, expose corruption, and demand transparency. They have been tenacious in founding independent media outlets and defending them against forces that seek their silence. And, for their commitment to the basic principles of the free press—principles that are indispensable to a healthy democracy—they have faced constant threats, harassment and intimidation, legal action, and even, in the case of Muratov, the death of his colleagues. Ressa, Muratov, and journalists like them all around the world are on the front lines of a global battle for the very idea of the truth, and I, along with people everywhere, am grateful for their groundbreaking work to "hold the line," as Ressa so often says.

I applaud the Nobel Committee for honoring Ressa and Muratov's incredible work and bringing greater attention to the increasing pressure on journalists, the free press, and freedom of expression all around the world.