President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday urged Nigerian editors to maintain fairness and integrity in their reports, describing responsible journalism as vital to sustaining democracy and national unity.
Speaking at the opening of the Nigerian Guild of Editors’ Annual Conference at the State House in Abuja, Tinubu said the media must serve as a stabilising force in today’s fast-changing information world.
“The freedom secured through struggle is not self-sustaining. It requires constant vigilance and responsible exercise,” the president said. “A democracy is sustained not only by elections and laws, but also by the integrity of public conversation.”
The conference, themed “Democratic Governance and National Cohesion: The Role of Editors,” gathered editors, senior journalists, and policymakers to discuss the media’s role in promoting unity amid national challenges.
Tinubu praised the Nigerian press for its courage during the fight for democracy. He said, “Our journalists endured intimidation, detention, and hardship in defence of the public good.”
He, however, warned that the digital age has made misinformation spread faster, stressing that editors must stay committed to facts and fairness.
“We live in a time when information travels rapidly and widely. Social media has made every citizen a potential publisher. This has benefits, but it also increases the speed and scale of misinformation,” Tinubu said. “Falsehood can take root before truth has time to speak. In such an environment, the editorial function is more important than ever.”
He urged editors to balance their duty of holding government accountable with fairness and truth. “Report boldly, but do so truthfully. Critique government policy but do so with knowledge and fairness. Your aim must never be to tear down, but to help build a better society,” he said.
The president also spoke on his government’s ongoing economic reforms, assuring Nigerians that the policies are meant to ensure long-term stability.
He said, “The reforms we have undertaken have been challenging, but they are designed to place our economy on a strong and enduring footing. We have taken steps to restore balance, encourage investment, and rebuild confidence. The signs of progress are visible, but we know there is more work to do.”
Tinubu called for collaboration between the media, government, private sector, and civil society to strengthen national unity. “Nation-building requires cooperation. It requires trust. It requires a shared understanding that our future is tied together,” he said.
He also reminded editors of their influence beyond headlines. “Distinguished Editors, your work matters. The tone you set in your newsrooms, the standards you enforce, and the courage with which you defend the truth will shape our national direction,” Tinubu said.
His appeal came amid rising concern about fake news and declining public trust in the media.
Earlier in July, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and Minister of Information Mohammed Idris had raised similar concerns. Mohammed said, “The digital age has opened the floodgates of information and misinformation. Social media has democratised speech but also diluted truth. Artificial intelligence now creates headlines, but who checks the heart behind them?”
Idris also warned that fake news could trigger unrest, describing it as “a ticking bomb that could set the nation ablaze.”
