PUBLISHING NEWSPAPERS
that this writer I honoured and treasured , valued as highly as such other of my writers as Khaled Hosseini , George Saunders and Richard Ford , would perhaps never achieve the major acclaim he deserved . As the year drew to its end , I felt sad and defeated .
And then on the morning of 7 October , my phone and email erupted . The news had broken that Abdulrazak Gurnah had won the Nobel Prize in Literature — the prize of prizes . This was the one I hadn ’ t dreamt of . It didn ’ t occur to me that the Nobel would look in his direction . But they did . Unknown to me , the Nobel committee had been tracking him for years . I was not , after all , alone in the wilderness .
Abdulrazak Gurnah pursues his creative path with courage and enormous talent and is now at last an internationally acclaimed author , something I ’ ve always wanted for him . n
The writer was editor-in-chief of Bloomsbury Publishing for 20 years . She is now executive publisher .
In defence of freedom , facts and against the abuse of power
Journalists Maria Ressa – Dmitry Muratov win 2021 Nobel Peace Prize
In its announcement datelined Oslo , 8 October 2021 , The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2021 to journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression , which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace . Ms Ressa and Mr Muratov are receiving the Peace Prize for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia . At the same time , they are representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions .
Maria Ressa uses freedom of expression to expose abuse of power , use of violence and growing authoritarianism in her native country , the Philippines . In 2012 , she co-founded Rappler , a digital media company for investigative journalism , which she still heads . As a journalist and the Rappler ’ s CEO , Ressa has shown herself to be a fearless defender of freedom of expression . Rappler has focused critical attention on the Duterte regime ’ s controversial , murderous anti-drug campaign . The number of deaths is so high that the campaign resembles a war waged against the country ’ s own population . Ms Ressa and Rappler have also documented how social media is being used to spread fake news , harass opponents and manipulate public discourse .
Dmitry Andreyevich Muratov has
for decades defended freedom of speech in Russia under increasingly challenging conditions . In 1993 , he was one of the founders of the independent newspaper Novaja Gazeta . Since 1995 he has been the newspaper ’ s editor-in-chief for a total of 24 years . Novaja Gazeta is the most independent newspaper in Russia today , with a fundamentally critical attitude towards power . The newspaper ’ s fact-based journalism and professional integrity have made it an important source of information on censurable aspects of Russian society rarely mentioned by other media . Since its start-up in 1993 , Novaja Gazeta has published critical articles on subjects ranging from corruption , police violence , unlawful arrests , electoral fraud and ” troll factories ” to the use of Russian military forces both within and outside Russia .
Novaja Gazeta ’ s opponents have responded with harassment , threats , violence and murder . Since the newspaper ’ s start , six of its journalists have been killed , including Anna Politkovskaja who wrote revealing articles on the war in Chechnya . Despite the killings and threats , editor-in-chief Muratov has refused to
Nobel Peace Prize 2021 winning journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov
abandon the newspaper ’ s independent policy . He has consistently defended the right of journalists to write anything they want about whatever they want , as long as they comply with the professional and ethical standards of journalism .
Free , independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power , lies and war propaganda . 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 protect 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 .
Without freedom of expression and freedom of the press , it will be difficult to successfully promote fraternity between nations , disarmament and a better world order to succeed in our time . This year ’ s award of the Nobel Peace Prize is therefore firmly anchored in the provisions of Alfred Nobel ’ s will . n
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Indian Printer & Publisher | 1 November 2021