Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said the Federal Government will not make any law or directive that will stifle the press in its ongoing fight against hate speech and fake news.
The Minister gave the assurance on Monday in Lagos when he paid a working visit to the Headquarters of TV Continental (TVC)
Mohammed described as fake news, the alleged directive from National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) regulating phone-in programmes and Newspaper review on TV and radio programmes.
He said there was no directive whatsoever from NBC or his office to any media house, regulating phone-in programmes and newspaper review as reported in the media.
The Minister recalled that there was a brainstorming meeting among stakeholders including NBC, media owners and others in Lagos where issues affecting the industry were discussed.
He said it was one of the participants at the meeting that leaked out the issues raised, which were never adopted as government directive or policies.
Mohammed reiterated that “no government that stifles the press, ever succeeds” and the Federal Government will not make laws or issue directive to gag the media.
He said the position of the government has been and still remains that the industry should regulate itself.
He, therefore, underscored the need for media houses to discharge their responsibilities in accordance with the dictates of their guiding codes to check the alarming rate of hate speech and fake news.
He said many Nigerians relied on newspaper review on radio and TV as their source of news daily and such review should, therefore, be done from the holistic perspective.
