Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has expressed concern about the liberty at which press freedom works in Nigeria’s media space.
He made this known in Abuja on Thursday, during the 21st Annual Daily Trust Dialogue with the theme, “Tinubu’s Economic Reforms: Gainers and Losers”.
Idris said government has guaranteed absolute freedom to the media but require them to be truthful in their reports. “The Federal Government has guaranteed absolute media freedom to practitioners but wants them to be truthful and responsible in their work.”
While commending the President for not gagging the media, he further stated that sometimes media trust takes too much editorial freedom.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Guild of Editors had lamented attempts by members of the National Assembly working in collaboration with officials of the executive arm of government to violate media freedom and criminalise journalism practice in the country.
Press freedom is a crucial part of a democratic system, but the intent to caution how press freedom should be exercised is a desirous urge to the opposite of what the Minister implies when part of his speech read: “The Nigerian government is not desirous of gagging press freedom or putting any press under fear. Nigerian Press is largely free, but we must report responsibly, and honestly,” he said.
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