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Maria Ressa: Nobel award ‘for all journalists around the world'

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Maria Ressa leaves a regional trial court after pleading not guilty to tax evasion charges, in Pasig City, July 22, 2020. Eloisa Lopez, Reuters/file" src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/tvpatrol/10/09/maria-ressa.jpg"/><figcaption>Maria Ressa leaves a regional trial court after pleading not guilty to tax evasion charges, in Pasig City, July 22, 2020. <em>Eloisa Lopez, Reuters/file</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Maria Ressa on Saturday said her Nobel Peace Prize was for &quot;all journalists around the world&quot;, as she vowed to continue her battle for press freedom.</p><p>Ressa, co-founder of news website Rappler, and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov were awarded the prize on Friday for their efforts to &quot;safeguard freedom of expression&quot;.</p><p>&quot;This is really for all journalists around the world,&quot; Ressa, a vocal critic of Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, told AFP in an interview.</p><p>&quot;We do need help on so many fronts -- it is so much more difficult and dangerous to be a journalist today.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/09/21/world-leaders-congratulate-ressa-muratov-on-nobel-peace-prize">World leaders congratulate Ressa, Muratov on Nobel Peace Prize win</a></li></ul><p>Philippine press groups and rights activists hailed Ressa&#x27;s award as a &quot;triumph&quot; in a country ranked as one of the world&#x27;s most dangerous for journalists. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1795748" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/08/21/maria-ressa-wins-nobel-peace-prize">For her press freedom efforts, Maria Ressa wins the Nobel Peace Prize</a></li></ul><p>Since Duterte was swept to power in 2016, Ressa and Rappler have endured what media advocates say is a grinding series of criminal charges, investigations and online attacks.</p><p>Duterte has called Rappler a &quot;fake news outlet&quot;, and Ressa has been the target of abusive messages online.</p><p>Ressa, 58, said she hoped the prize would provide a protective shield for her and other journalists in the Philippines against physical attacks and online threats.</p><p>&quot;This &#x27;us against them&#x27; was never the creation of the journalists, it was the creation of the people in power who wanted to use a type of leadership that divides society,&quot; Ressa said, describing the award &quot;like a shot of adrenalin&quot;.</p><p>&quot;I hope this allows journalists to do our jobs well without fear.&quot;</p><p>Ressa said 7 legal cases, including tax evasion, still in the courts were &quot;ludicrous&quot; and she was determined to win.</p><p>She is on bail pending an appeal against a conviction last year in a cyber libel case, for which she faces up to six years in prison.</p><p>Two other cyber libel cases were dismissed earlier this year.</p><p>&quot;That abuse of power would have worked if I allowed the fear in my emotions and in my head to dominate our reaction -- the biggest challenge was always to conquer your fear,&quot; she said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/01/13/21/documentary-on-maria-ressa-wins-at-gotham-awards-2021">Documentary on Maria Ressa wins at Gotham Awards 2021</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Being fearless doesn&#x27;t mean not being afraid, it just means knowing how to handle your fear.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/06/21/duterte-press-freedom-predators-reporters-without-borders">Duterte among world&#x27;s &#x27;press freedom predators&#x27;: watchdog</a></li></ul><p>The author of &quot;How to Stand Up to a Dictator&quot; hopes to get permission to travel to Norway to pick up her Nobel Prize.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1795455" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Ressa and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov were awarded the prize on Friday for their efforts to 'safeguard freedom of expression'.