Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa will be honored with the 2026 Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism, the Los Angeles Press Club announced Friday.
The award is named for Daniel Pearl, a Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped and killed by terrorists in Pakistan in 2002, and recognizes journalists who demonstrate exceptional courage and commitment to truth.
Ressa, co-founder and CEO of the Philippines-based digital news outlet Rappler, has been recognized globally for her efforts to defend press freedom and combat disinformation, according to organization.
“We are extremely pleased to see the Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism awarded to Maria Ressa, who, like Danny before her, has come to symbolize press freedom, the protection of journalists, and the importance of truthful reporting in the fight against corruption, disinformation, and theocratic regimes that threaten peace and human rights,” Judea Pearl, father of Daniel Pearl, said in a statement.
Ressa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for her efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which the Nobel committee described as a foundation for democracy and lasting peace.
As head of Rappler, she has faced legal challenges and repeated arrests under the administration of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, at one point posting bail multiple times to remain free, according to the press club.
The Daniel Pearl Award has been presented annually since 2002 by the Los Angeles Press Club in partnership with Pearl’s family.
Ressa will receive the award at the Los Angeles Press Club’s SoCal Journalism Awards gala June 28 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.