President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday urged media practitioners to uphold professionalism, accuracy, and responsibility in reporting, describing the press as a critical partner in nation-building and democratic governance.
President Tinubu spoke at the maiden State House Media Corps Presidential Dinner held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to press freedom and freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Constitution.
He said: “I am an apostle of a free press.
“I have defended and advocated for the rights of the media throughout my public life and will continue to do so.”
Tinubu, however, urged journalists to balance press freedom with responsibility in the discharge of their constitutional duties.
He said: “Journalists and citizens must not forget the imperative of balancing rights with responsibility and the duty to report with care, accuracy and facts.”
He warned against misinformation, disinformation, fake news, and growing threat of artificial intelligence-enabled deepfakes.
“Media practitioners should not be willing couriers of falsehood or unverified information injurious to national security and the nation,” the President said.
Tinubu described the relationship between the government and media as one of partnership and healthy democratic rivalry.
He said: “The government exists to serve the people through leadership and policy.
“The media exists to watch those entrusted with power, ask difficult questions, and hold the government accountable.”
He said the inherent tension between both institutions was necessary for democracy to thrive.
He said: “The government must act.
“The media must watch.
“The government must explain.
“The media must question.
“That arrangement guarantees a certain level of tension.”
The President urged both parties to deepen mutual respect and constructive engagement in the national interest.
“Let us replace needless hostility with constructive engagement.
“Let us replace sensationalism with professionalism and the pursuit of outrage with the pursuit of truth.”
Tinubu noted that professional journalism had become more important in the era of social media and instant information.
“The media must choose fact over falsehood, substance over sensation, credibility over clickbait, and the endless race for followers, likes, and viral outrage,” he said.
According to him, professional journalism remains the standard for separating facts from rumours and evidence from speculation.
He added: “Freedom of expression is not freedom to defame.
“Freedom of the press is not freedom to deliberately mislead.
“Rights come with responsibilities.”
The President said existing laws, including the Cybercrimes Act, were designed to protect citizens and preserve the integrity of Nigeria’s information ecosystem, not to undermine press freedom.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to constitutional provisions guaranteeing press freedom and access to information.
“Section 39 guarantees every Nigerian the right to freedom of expression, while Section 22 places upon the media the noble responsibility of holding the government accountable,” he said.
