President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged media practitioners to uphold professionalism, accuracy and responsibility in their reporting, describing the press as an indispensable partner in nation-building and democratic governance.

Speaking on Thursday at the maiden State House Media Corps Presidential Dinner at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to press freedom and freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Constitution.

“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, however, stressed that press freedom must be exercised responsibly, urging journalists to ensure their reports are accurate, factual and in the national interest.

“Journalists and citizens must not forget the imperative of balancing rights with responsibility and the duty to report with care, accuracy and facts,” he said.

Tinubu warned against the growing threat of misinformation, disinformation, fake news and artificial intelligence-enabled deepfakes.

“Media practitioners should not be willing couriers of falsehood or unverified information injurious to national security and the nation,” he said.

Describing the relationship between government and the media as one built on partnership and democratic accountability, the President said both institutions have distinct but complementary roles.

“Government exists to serve the people through leadership and policy. The media exists to watch those entrusted with power, ask difficult questions and hold government accountable,” he said.

According to him, the natural tension between government and the press is essential to sustaining democracy.

“Government must act. The media must watch. Government must explain. The media must question. That arrangement guarantees a certain level of tension,” he added.

Tinubu called for greater mutual respect and constructive engagement between both sides.

“Let us replace needless hostility with constructive engagement. Let us replace sensationalism with professionalism and the pursuit of outrage with the pursuit of truth,” he said.

Highlighting the growing influence of social media, the President maintained that professional journalism remains critical in distinguishing facts from rumours and evidence from speculation.

“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.

He also defended existing laws, including the Cybercrimes Act, insisting they were designed to protect citizens and preserve the integrity of Nigeria’s information ecosystem rather than suppress press freedom.

“Freedom of expression is not freedom to defame. Freedom of the press is not freedom to deliberately mislead. Rights come with responsibilities,” Tinubu said.

Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to constitutional guarantees, he noted that Section 39 protects every Nigerian’s right to freedom of expression, while Section 22 assigns the media the responsibility of holding government accountable.

The President also highlighted what he described as progress under his administration, saying ongoing economic reforms were beginning to yield results.

“Our economy is stabilising. Public revenues have strengthened significantly. Investor confidence is returning and key economic indicators are moving in the right direction,” he said.

On security, Tinubu said the government had intensified military operations, improved intelligence gathering and strengthened inter-agency collaboration, leading to the recovery of communities previously under threat.

He expressed optimism that the State House Media Corps Presidential Dinner would become an enduring platform for strengthening collaboration between government and the media.

Earlier, Chairman of the State House Press Corps, Anule Emmanuel, pledged that members of the corps would continue to report the President’s activities professionally as the administration pursues its reform agenda.

The event also featured the presentation of awards to distinguished recipients from various sectors and the decoration of Tinubu as Grand Patron of the State House Press Corps. Ministers, governors, members of the diplomatic corps, private sector leaders and media stakeholders attended the dinner.