Happy world press Freedom Day!

Press freedom gives citizens the right to seek and receive independent information. It gives journalists the opportunity to expose corruption, abuse of power, and other injustices, and helps to highlight important social issues and engage people in debates that can lead to change. A free press, open dialogue, and independent journalists are essential to driving society forward, and to maintaining democracy, stability, and peace.

The Nobel Peace Prize and journalism

When we look at the 120-year long history of theNobelPeace Prize, we find many journalists among the laureates.Many of them received the prize for other activities than their journalism, such as disarmament or human rights work. The first one to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for journalistic work was the German editor, Carl von Ossietzky.Hewas awarded the prize for 1935 for his brave defense of freedom of speech. Using open sources and traditional journalistic methods, Ossietzky revealed thatthe German Government had built up a secret air force in violation of the peace treaty after World War 1. His independent journalism cost him his freedom first, and then his life. He was one of the first prisoners to be sent to a concentration camp by the Nazi regime and died in prison in 1938. He never received the Nobel Peace Prize medal and diploma. 

Tawakkol Karmanfrom Yemen is an example of a journalist who was awarded for her human rights work. She wasthe leading figure of the Arab spring in Yemen and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. A journalist by profession, she was calling for democracy and freedom of speechin her home country.

“A precondition for peace”

In 2021, the Norwegian NobelCommittee highlighted the importance of press freedom when they awarded the prize to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov. The two journalistswere awarded"for their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace".

In the same way, civil society and human rights work were highlighted in the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize last year. Memorial from Russia, Center for Civil Liberties from Ukraine, and Ales Bialiatksi from Belarus are human rights activist. “Together, they demonstrate the significance of civil society for peace and democracy”, the Committee stated.

The Russian war against Ukraine has made the laureates’ work more difficult, much more dangerous – and more important.

Ales Bialiatskiis one of more than 2000 political prisoners in Belarus, many of them arejournalists who have criticized Lukashenko’s regime. In Russa, the human rights organization Memorial is bannedand has been labeled as "foreign agent" by the Russian Supreme Court.Its members are being prosecuted by the state, accused of discrediting the army or of “extremist activities”. 

Fighting propaganda

But neither Bialiatski, his organization Viasna or Memorial are giving up. They continue their work despite the authorities’ efforts to stop them. The same is the case with most independent media in Russia and Belarus. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, most independent journalists have fled Russia and Belarus and many of them work from abroad to provide people in their home countries with trustworthy, independent journalism. They continue their work from exile.

On World Press Freedom Day, two of them will visit Oslo to take part in an event co-organized by the Nobel Peace Center and the Czech and U.S. Embassies in Oslo. Lola Togaeva is founder and Editor-in-chief of the Russian, independent publication Verstka. Aliaksandra Pushkina is director of communication at Zerkalo, formerly known as TUT.by, the largest independent news provider in Belarus. They both have the same mission: To give the people living in their home country access to reliable information about the war in Ukraine.

“Independent journalists have a special responsibility right now”, says Lola Togaeva. “We have to work as hard as we can to fight propaganda.”

We, who live in the world’s highest ranked country for press freedom, also have a special responsibility right now. Independent journalists from Russia and Belarus need our full support so they can continue their important work. The world needs an antidote to tyranny.