KARACHi: The annual press freedom award of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has been awarded to Maria Ressa, Co-founder, CEO and Executive Editor of online news site Rappler.

The Golden Pen of Freedom award — during the opening ceremony of the 70th World News Media Congress and 25th World Editors Forum in Portugal — recognised Ms Ressa’s unwavering commitment to the values of a free press, as well as her determination to continue exposing stories of vital importance for democracy in the Philippines amidst intense pressure from the government and its supporters.

“You don’t really know who you are until you’re forced to fight to defend it,” Ms Ressa said in her acceptance speech, delivered in front of over 700 publishers, CEOs and editors-in-chief from the global news industry, reported WAN-IFRA on its website.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2018