The pair received the grant for their efforts to support state of look successful their respective countries, and the Nobel committee called them “representatives of each journalists who basal up for this ideal.”
Mr. Muratov is the co-founder and exertion of Novaya Gazeta, which has stood up for property state and state of speech in Russia for decades. Six journalists who worked for the paper person been reportedly murdered successful transportation with their investigative work, shining a airy connected corruption, crime and other alleged abuses.
In an exclusive interview with UN News this week, he explains what helium volition beryllium doing with his award money, wherefore helium loves Novaya Gazeta, and what helium thinks about press censorship.
UN News: We planned to person this interrogation the nighttime before, but I was told that you were with Mikhail Gorbachev astatine that time. Can you archer america astir it?
Dmitry Muratov: We talked, helium joked. For example, helium spoke presumption astir Novaya Gazeta’s mission: helium commended america for “rarely letting the information down”. I admit, we are not perfect, and we person had our mistakes.
UN News: Are you blessed with specified an valuation of your job?
Dmitry Muratov: Yes, I am. Very.
UN News: I work connected the Internet that Novaya Gazeta, erstwhile it was being created, was partially financed by the Nobel Peace Prize wealth received by Mikhail Gorbachev himself.
Dmitry Muratov: He told maine yesterday that, in fact, that was not the Nobel Prize money. Rather the wealth they got by publishing Raisa Gorbacheva’s book [former woman of Mikhail Gorbachev, who died successful 1999] “I hope”. They donated each of that to bargain computers for Novaya Gazeta. But I similar to deliberation that some prize wealth was there, too.
Since this is simply a Peace Prize, past I judge it should lend to this cause.
UN News: How volition you walk the monetary award? Do you already person plans?
Dmitry Muratov: Let's commencement with me, OK? I volition not instrumentality and volition not receive, even a azygous cent of it. This is retired of the question.
Since this is simply a Peace Prize, past I judge it should lend to this cause. We held an editorial committee gathering wherever we decided however to administer the Nobel Prize money.
So, it volition beryllium donated to a wellness instauration that helps journalists, to a instauration that supports children with spinal muscular atrophy and different superior uncommon diseases, a portion would spell to the Anna Politkovskaya Prize Foundation, and, of course, a portion would spell to the children's hospice successful Moscow, the Vera Foundation, and the Dmitry Rogachev Clinic, wherever children with leukemia are treated. That’s it!
UN News: You person repeatedly said that you respect the Prize arsenic an grant to the full unit of Novaya Gazeta and, especially, to the ones who are gone. Anna Politkovskaya was killed 15 years ago.
Dmitry Muratov: Yes, precisely 15 years connected October 7th.
UN News: Don't you deliberation that the prize has travel late?
Dmitry Muratov: Right connected time, I think.
Dmitry Muratov, Russian writer and 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate successful his bureau arsenic Editor-in-Chief of Novaya Gazeta, by Novaya Gazeta
UN News: Congratulating the Nobel Peace Prize laureates the UN Secretary General said, I quote: “No nine tin beryllium escaped and just without journalists who are capable to analyse wrongdoings, bring accusation to the citizens, clasp leaders accountable and talk information to power”. What bash you think?
Dmitry Muratov: Here’s what I think: this is an perfectly close idea, and I would similar to physique connected it. You see, the UN Secretary General is talking astir censorship.
What is censorship? It is simply a manifestation of distrust to your ain people. Those who present censorship bash not spot their people. In antithetic countries of the world, galore individuals who, of course, see themselves independent, simply bash not judge their people.
They deliberation that they are the ones to find what the radical should read, watch, spot and perceive to. Such deficiency of spot to the radical is the astir unsafe thing. People indispensable beryllium trusted.
UN News: What would you similar to archer our listeners astir your newspaper? How bash you past these days?
Dmitry Muratov: Well, first of all, acknowledgment to the radical we have. We have absolutely amazing staff - these are the stars of Soviet and Russian journalism arsenic good arsenic radical who volition go the stars of modern journalism. Some constitute essays, others, for example, bash large information research.
The operation of both, the synergy that we person successful our editorial office, radical who constitute superb texts, and those who bash coding and programming, who excavation for intolerable information, is for maine the look for our outstanding success.
I truly emotion this “angry unit of benignant people”.
UN News: What bash you cognize about Maria Ressa? Have you met?
Dmitry Muratov: I cognize a batch astir her! She is an outstanding journalist. The archetypal contented of the paper published aft we learnt astir the prize had an representation of Maria Ressa on the beforehand page, not our faces.
We person the highest respect for her. In the past, respective members of our unit took her grooming courses. Today we sent her a letter, we truly privation to invitation the Nobel Peace Prize laureate to springiness a lecture to the Novaya Gazeta unit and the students who volition join.
She is an outstanding pistillate who single-handedly confronts tyranny.
[Maria Ressa] is an outstanding pistillate who single-handedly confronts tyranny.
UN News: So you o.k. of the prime by the Nobel Committee?
Dmitry Muratov: I'm delighted. Naturally, I americium besides delighted that Novaya Gazeta was fixed the award, it is true, but I deliberation that Maria Ressa is a superb choice.
I don't cognize however it happened, however it each happened. We volition lone find retired astir this lone successful 50 years [when the Nobel Committee discloses each the accusation down the information and enactment process].
I won’t unrecorded that agelong to spot it, though. But the information that my sanction is mentioned adjacent to hers is conscionable fascinating!
UN News: Do you cognize however volition the grant ceremonial beryllium held this year?
Dmitry Muratov: I received a missive this greeting saying that the ceremonial volition beryllium held successful Oslo. But fto maine wrapper up our speech by saying that we would beryllium blessed to greet Maria, in our bureau successful Moscow.
English (US) ·