TOKYO -- Philippine journalist Maria Ressa has won the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday.

The pair were recognized for "their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace."

Ressa, 58, heads Philippine news website Rappler and is a prominent critic of President Rodrigo Duterte. "I am in shock," she said in response to the Nobel announcement, in a Rappler broadcast quoted by Reuters. In a separate statement, Rappler said it was "honored" and "astounded" by its CEO being awarded at "a time when journalists and the truth are being attacked and undermined."

Norwegian Nobel Committee Chairwoman Berit Reiss-Andersen told reporters that Ressa and Muratov were honored for their "courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia." She said they represent all journalists who defend this ideal under "increasingly adverse conditions" for freedom and democracy.

Last year, Ressa was found guilty of "cyberlibel" in a high-profile case that stirred concern over press freedom in the Southeast Asian country. While the case was brought by a businessman over a 2012 story, many believe Ressa and Rappler were targeted over their extensive reporting on Duterte's deadly drug war and other politically sensitive issues. Human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as foreign press clubs, condemned the conviction as a blow to free speech.

Rappler CEO and Executive Editor Maria Ressa is escorted by police after posting bail in 2019.   © Reuters

Ressa has been a journalist for over 30 years. Before launching Rappler in 2012, she led the newsroom of ABS-CBN, the Philippines' largest broadcaster, which was shut down last year after clashing with Duterte. She also opened and ran CNN's Manila and Jakarta bureaus and covered terrorism in Southeast Asia.

Hit by a string of other legal charges including tax evasion, Ressa has said she faces harassment for speaking truth to power. "In less than two years, the Philippine government has filed 10 arrest warrants against me," she said in an interview with Rappler streamed after her prize was announced on Friday. "It was pretty bleak at different times, but I really continue to believe that we need to continue shining the light. We need to continue doing accountability journalism."

Muratov is editor-in-chief of Novaya Gazeta, which the Committee to Protect Journalists describes as "the only truly critical newspaper with national influence in Russia today." The paper is known for in-depth investigations into corruption, human rights violations and abuse of power, according to the CPJ, which notes that three of its reporters have been killed.

Dmitry Muratov, the founder of Novaya Gazeta, earlier this year: His publication has been called "the only truly critical newspaper with national influence in Russia today."

The Kremlin, according to Reuters, released a statement congratulating the 59-year-old and said he "consistently works in accordance with his own ideals," and is "brave and talented."

The Philippine government had yet to react to Ressa's Nobel Prize as of publication.

U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement congratulating the two recipients saying it was "much deserved."

"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," he said.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres offered his congratulations, noting the dangers media workers face.

"We are seeing growing violence and harassment against journalists, in person and online," Guterres said in a statement. "Women journalists are often subjected to particular abuse."

Joel Simon, executive director of the U.S.-based nonprofit Committee to Protect Journalists, said Ressa and Muratov "personify the values of press freedom and the reason it matters."

"These are journalists under personal threat, who continuously defy censorship and repression to report the news, and have led the way for others to do the same," Simon said in a statement.

Explaining the decision to award the Peace Prize to journalists, the Nobel committee said in a statement, "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."

The committee also pointed out that Ressa and Rappler have "documented how social media is being used to spread fake news, harass opponents and manipulate public discourse."

Ressa has routinely come under attack from trolls on Facebook, and at one point was the target of 90 hate messages an hour on the social network, according to an analysis by the International Center for Journalists.

She has criticized social media platforms, particularly Facebook, for not doing enough to address online disinformation that threatens democracies. Speaking virtually on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly last month, she raised the issue anew and urged world leaders to act now, as the Philippines will hold general elections in May next year.

"They are, by design, dividing us and radicalizing us," she said of social media in remarks quoted by Rappler. "This isn't a free speech issue. It is not the fault of the users. These platforms are not merely mirroring humanity; they're making all of us our worst selves, creating emergent behavior that's destroying our world."

She added, "It's not a coincidence that divisive leaders are the ones who do the best on social media."

Commenting to Rappler on Friday about how journalism contributes to the path to peace, Ressa said: "Nothing is possible without facts. Even though facts are really boring, everything begins with a shared reality that is defined by facts."

Additional reporting by Cliff Venzon and Ella Hermonio in Manila