We believe there’s a superhero in each of us. True Superheroes celebrates people who’ve overcome adversity, made amazing contributions to society, and inspired others to do the same. Each week we nominate people in different fields. This week we focus on Journalism!
Rana Ayyub
A born survivor who overcame polio as a child, Rana has spent her life on the sharp end of abuse and harassment. Her reporting of alleged state collusion in India’s lethal inter-communal riots has led to her being described as both the most hated journalist on Earth and the most abused person on Twitter, and has even led to the United Nations calling for an end to her harassment. She remains defiant in the face of vexatious court cases, sickening deepfakes and regular death threats, and continues to shine a light on the abuse of power.
When Dan Rather used innovative techniques to warn viewers about the threat posed by Hurricane Carla in 1961, he persuaded half a million people to evacuate the Texan coast and saved countless lives. This was just the beginning of an extraordinary career broadcasting from the eye of the storm, covering everything from JFK’s assassination to Vietnam, and to this day he remains on the cutting edge of journalism, a 91-year-old social media star with millions of followers and news in his blood.
For close to 30 years, Dmitry Muratov has led the fight for journalistic freedom in Russia, editing the fearless newspaper Novaya Gazeta as it reported on state corruption and violence in censorious Russia. He was one of the first journalists to be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize since 1935, and sold his Nobel medal for over $100m, donating the proceeds to relief efforts in Ukraine. Novaya Gazeta is now a newspaper in exile, but Muratov continues to hold Russia to account.
