Journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov were announced as honored recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize Friday for their endeavors to protect freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia, CNN reports.

Ressa is the CEO of Rappler, a news that openly voices its concerns about the administration of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, while Muratov helms the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta.

Over the years, their outspokenness has been met with threats of legal action and physical violence from their respective governments.

"Free, independent and fact-based journalism serves to protect against abuse of power, lies and war propaganda," Berit Reiss-Andersen, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said as she announced the prize in Oslo on Friday.

She praised the two as "representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions."

Reiss-Andersen also said the journalists were chosen so as to "underscore the importance of protecting and defending these fundamental rights."