Listen to MATT President Ira Mathur read this statement.

When the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded journalists Maria Ressa (Philippines) and Dmitry Muratov (Russia) The Nobel Peace Prize for 2021 for their efforts ‘to safeguard freedom of expression, a precondition for democracy and lasting peace’ it was a win for journalists globally.

This prize is a recognition of the Fourth Estate of journalists and their support teams of media workers who protect the fundamental rights of the freedom of the press under increasingly adverse conditions.

As people casually switch radio and television stations, and scroll online the print media for news, nobody thinks of the invisible army of media workers behind the scenes, the studio operators, sub-editors, technical staff, camera people, graphic artists. Given the noise and fake news in social media journalism today needs to be buttressed now more than ever.

Even as the global fraternity salute Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov for their Nobel Peace Prize, I believe our nation, too, owes our invisible media workers a debt of gratitude and support for never letting the lights dim on a free and fair press.