“Free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies and war propaganda,” said Nobel Committee chair Berit Reiss-Andersen as she announced the prestigious peace prize in Oslo. This year, 2 committed truth-tellers share the honour: Maria Ressa (boss of Filipino news site Rappler) and Russian Dmitry Muratov (who leads independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta). Both have stood up to threats from governments and political leaders for shining lights on shady behaviour. Muratov said the award is shared with those who have lost their lives while trying to hold the Russian Government accountable. And Ressa said she was pleased the committee acknowledged that “a world without facts means a world without truth and trust.” The pair beat out more than 300 candidates for the prize and take home 10 million Swedish krona ($1.5 million).