The 2021 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to journalists Maria Ressa of the Philippines and Dmitry Muratov of Russia. They were cited for their fight for freedom of expression.

The winners were announced Friday by Berit Reiss-Andersen, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

"Free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies and war propaganda," said Reiss-Andersen.

"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."

Ressa in 2012 co-founded Rappler, a news website that has focused "critical attention on the (President Rodrigo) Duterte regime's controversial, murderous anti-drug campaign," the Nobel committee said.

She and Rappler "have also documented how social media is being used to spread fake news, harass opponents and manipulate public discourse." Muratov was one of the founders of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta in 1993.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov congratulated Muratov on winning the prize, hailing him as a "talented and brave" person.

The prestigious award is accompanied by a gold medal and 10 million Swedish kronor (over $1.14 million). The prize money comes from a bequest left by the prize's creator, Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, who died in 1895.

The news has spread across Twitter making a lot of people happy and proud.

Here's what people are saying. Have a look.

With inputs from PTI.

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