Two investigative journalists, one from the Philippines and one from Russia, received a Nobel Peace Prize this year. The journalists, Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov, received their prize on Dec. 10 at a ceremony that Ressa was almost blocked from attending because of travel restrictions related to legal cases filed against her in the Philippines.

But not only was Ressa able to attend, she also used her acceptance speech to criticize big tech companies and social media for spreading misinformation. “If you’re working in tech, I’m talking to you,” Ressa said. “How can you have election integrity if you don’t have integrity of facts?”

Both Ressa and Muratov accepted their prize for their “efforts to safeguard freedom of expression” and for telling the truth.

Muratov noted that investigative journalists are crucial to helping people understand current affairs and despite growing risks, they must continue to dig for facts. “As the great war photographer Robert Capa said: ‘If your picture isn’t good enough, you aren’t close enough,'” Muratov said. 

Ressa and Muratov also noted the sacrifices journalists have made, especially those who work in authoritarian states. Both journalists are known for their extensive work in the field and have angered their respected countries, facing threats as a result. Multiple colleagues of Muratov have been murdered or persecuted due to their work. “I want journalists to die old,” Muratov said.

“There are so many more journalists persecuted in the shadows with neither exposure nor support, and governments are doubling down with impunity,” Ressa said.

She noted the importance of giving this reward to not one but two journalists. 

“By giving this to journalists today, the Nobel committee is signaling a similar historical moment, another existential point for democracy,” she said, pointing to the disruptive impact of social media in fueling the spread of misinformation and creating fertile ground for divisive, authoritarian leaders.

“Without facts, you can’t have truth. Without truth, you can’t have trust. Without trust, we have no shared reality, no democracy, and it becomes impossible to deal with our world’s existential problems: climate, coronavirus, the battle for truth,” Ressa said.

This led the two to talk about social media and the spread of misinformation it contributes to. 

“Our greatest need today is to transform that hate and violence, the toxic sludge that’s coursing through our information ecosystem, prioritized by American internet companies that make more money by spreading that hate and triggering the worst in us.”

Ressa said: “Silicon Valley’s sins came home to roost in the United States on January 6 with mob violence on Capitol Hill. What happens on social media doesn’t stay on social media.”

Muratov also had something to say regarding social media. 

“Manipulation leads to war,” he said. “We are in the middle of a post-truth period. Now, everyone is concerned about their own ideas and not the facts.

“Social scientists have shown that, when even knowing what is the truth and what is a lie, 75 percent of people will consider the lie as truth as they like the lie better. This is happening already. We are at the very bottom of the manipulation of the human mind.”

Their speeches follow recent announcements from Facebook’s parent company, Meta, in which a new feature that gives people more control over what appears in their news feeds is being introduced. The news follows criticism regarding not only the spread of misinformation over Facebook but recent crashes of the company’s communication app, WhatsApp.

Watch the entire ceremony below:

YouTube Video

Read the full speech transcript here.