By BONIFACE AKARAH

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to press freedom, declaring that democracy cannot thrive without an independent media while urging journalists to uphold professionalism and resist the spread of misinformation, fake news and deepfakes.

Tinubu spoke at the maiden State House Press Corps Presidential Dinner in Abuja, where he also assured journalists of continued access to his administration. He said his government remained committed to ensuring media practitioners had “the access, the resources, and the freedom” required to carry out their constitutional responsibilities.

“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,” the President said.

He added: "Democracy is stymied without a free press. The fourth estate of the realm must be a free estate, and not a fief.”

The President, however, stressed that press freedom comes with responsibility, warning that journalists must balance constitutional rights with their obligation to report accurately and responsibly.

“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.

Tinubu expressed concern over what he described as the growing menace of misinformation, disinformation, fake news, voice cloning, facial cloning and deepfakes in the digital age.

“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,” he said.

Reflecting on his relationship with the media, Tinubu acknowledged that government and journalists often occupy opposing sides in a democracy but described both as indispensable partners in nation-building.

“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 also challenged journalists to prioritise truth over sensationalism, saying professional journalism had become even more critical in an era where anyone with a smartphone could publish information.

“We live in an era where misinformation and disinformation travel faster than facts. The media must choose fact over falsehood. The media must choose substance over sensation. The media must choose credibility over clickbait,” he said.

He added that freedom of expression “is not freedom to defame,” noting that existing laws, including the Cybercrimes Act, were designed to protect citizens from malicious falsehoods without undermining legitimate press freedom.

Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to Sections 22 and 39 of the Constitution and the Freedom of Information Act, describing them as critical pillars of Nigeria’s democracy.

He urged the media and government to deepen constructive engagement while maintaining accountability.

“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 said.