President Muhammadu Buhari has reiterated commitment to freedom of the press, and urged media professionals to wield freedom responsibly and without licentiousness.
While celebrating World Press Freedom Day with the media, the President noted that freedom of the press is an irreducible minimum in a democracy that would flourish.
According to a statement signed by the special adviser to the president on media and publicity Femi Adesina, President Buhari, said the media must be sensitive to happenings in the country and avoid anything that would exacerbate the situation.
He stated that the media needs to ensure that while informing, educating, entertaining and setting agenda for public discourse, it does not encourage words and actions that could further hurt Nigeria’s unity in diversity.
On the part of government, President Buhari pledged greater cooperation with the media to discharge its duties, in line with the theme of this year’s World Press Freedom Day, ‘Information as a Public Good.
He charged those who manage information for government to do everything in public interest, while also encouraging the media to use the Freedom of Information Act available to make its jobs easier.
The President submitted that it is very vital to have access to reliable information in an era of misinformation, disinformation and hate speech, all to cause discord in society.
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