Garba Shehu defends social media bill

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, has defended the necessity of the social media bill before the National Assembly.

Shehu spoke yesterday while presenting a paper on “Media and Democracy: Challenges of Journalism” at the 2020 annual lecture of the Abuja Branch of the Barewa Old Boys Association.

The presidential spokesperson, in a statement issued yesterday by Attah Esa, a deputy director in the Department of Information, State House, said the media should be held accountable for misinformation capable of causing devastating consequences on the nation, economy and individuals.

Shehu argued that any attempt to hold the media accountable or punish libelous publication in Nigeria should not be automatically regarded as an attack on journalism and press freedom.

The former president of the Nigeria Guild of Editors said the social media had made the role of the traditional media “complex,” cautioning that “recklessness” can cause devastating consequences on the polity.

Shehu, who spoke in his capacity as a journalist and media practitioner, with over three decades of experience in the profession, described the social media as a powerful tool for people-oriented governance.

He, however, called for better remuneration of journalists in the country, warning that poor and backlog of unpaid salaries expose media practitioners to corruption.