President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerian journalists not to amplify messages “of those who wish to harm us”.
He also asked the press to prioritise facts, accuracy and professionalism over sensationalism and the pursuit of online engagement.
The president spoke on Thursday at the maiden State House Media Dinner in Abuja.
“We must not undermine our country with irresponsible reporting. If we do, we will have no safe space left, especially at a time when our nation is tackling security threats, neutralising thousands of criminal elements, and rescuing hostages. The media should not become an amplifier for those who wish to harm us,” he said.
“There is always tension between the government and the press, but that is the nature of democracy. The government must act, the media must watch, the government must explain, and the media must question.”
The president added that “the recurring incidents of misinformation, disinformation, fake news, voice and facial cloning and deep fakes are concerning. These are the drawbacks of the social media age. Media practitioners should not be willing couriers of falsehood or unverified information injurious to national security and the nation”.
Tinubu said his administration remains committed to press freedom but urged journalists to balance their constitutional rights with responsibility.
“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,” he said.
‘Rights come with responsibilities’
Tinubu said freedom of expression and press freedom should not be used to spread falsehood or mislead the public.
“While press freedom and free speech remain the bedrock of an open and democratic society, journalists and citizens must also not forget the imperative of balancing rights with responsibility and the duty you hold to society to report and inform with care and accuracy to facts and in a manner that ensures the society is not set on fire,” he said.
“The media must choose fact over falsehood. The media must choose substance over sensation. The media must choose credibility over clickbait and the endless race for followers, likes, and viral outrage.”
He added that professional journalism remains essential at a time when misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes and artificial intelligence-generated content are becoming more widespread.
“The public depends on journalists not merely to report events but to separate fact from fiction, truth from speculation, and evidence from opinion,” he said.
“In a world where everyone with a smartphone is now a journalist, the responsibility of professional journalism has never been greater.”
Tinubu said freedom of expression “is not freedom to defame”, while press freedom “is not freedom to deliberately mislead”.
‘Government and media are democratic’
The president described the relationship between government and the media as one of partnership and healthy rivalry.
“We are adversaries only in the democratic sense, as the media constantly distrust those in power. In nation-building, we are partners,” he said.
“Government exists to serve the people through leadership, policy, and public service. The media exists to serve society by watching those entrusted with power, asking difficult questions, and holding government accountable.”
Tinubu said the inevitable tension between both institutions is necessary for democracy.
“Government must act. The media must watch. Government must explain. The media must question. That arrangement guarantees a certain level of tension,” he said.
The president said existing laws, including the Cybercrimes Act, are intended to protect citizens from digital abuses rather than weaken press freedom.
“The media space is no longer an unregulated frontier. Nigeria has enacted laws, including the Cybercrimes Act and other relevant legislation, to protect citizens from malicious falsehoods, cyberstalking, identity theft, and other abuses that increasingly accompany the digital age,” he said.
“These safeguards are not intended to weaken press freedom. Rather, they exist to protect citizens and preserve the integrity of our information ecosystem.”
Tinubu said his administration’s economic reforms are beginning to yield positive results.
“Our economy is stabilising. Public revenues have strengthened significantly. State governments are receiving substantially higher allocations to support development. Investor confidence is returning,” he said.
He added that foreign reserves had improved, investment was returning to the oil and gas sector, while tax and fiscal reforms were laying the foundation for long-term economic growth.
On security, the president said military operations had intensified across different theatres, with improved intelligence gathering and stronger inter-agency collaboration.
“As a result, thousands of criminal elements and terrorists have been neutralised. Numerous hostages have been rescued. Communities previously under threat have been reclaimed,” he said.
Tinubu called for stronger collaboration between the media and government while preserving the watchdog role of the press.
“Let us replace needless hostility with constructive engagement. Let us replace sensationalism with professionalism. Let us replace the pursuit of outrage with the pursuit of truth,” he added.
“Together, let us continue building a nation where truth matters, accountability thrives, democracy flourishes, and every Nigerian has reason to believe in the promise of our country.”
The Cable
