Lanre Arogundade, executive director of the International Press Centre, says the recent directive by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) warning broadcasters against intimidating guests could itself intimidate journalists.
Arogundade spoke on Morning Brief on Channels Television on Monday.
His comments come after NBC threatened to sanction journalists and broadcast stations where anchors express personal opinions or “attack” guests.
Arogundade said the tone of the directive creates uncertainty for broadcasters and may discourage legitimate questioning.
“It appears as though the NBC, in a bid to tell broadcasters not to bully their guests, is itself bullying the broadcasters with that statement,” he said.
He said presenters may now struggle to determine the boundaries of acceptable conduct during interviews.
“You begin to ask yourself, where do I cross the red line? Does it mean that if a guest is talking, you shouldn’t correct the guest?” he added.
Arogundade said such ambiguity could affect professionalism and weaken the role of journalists in holding public officials accountable.
He also questioned the NBC’s power to impose fines, citing a subsisting court judgment.
He said the Court of Appeal, in April 2026, upheld an earlier Federal High Court ruling that restrained the commission from imposing fines on broadcast stations and set aside previous sanctions.
“If the NBC proceeds to impose fines, it may be acting in contempt of that judgment,” he said.
Arogundade said while professionalism in broadcasting is important, regulatory measures must be clear and consistent with the law.
He urged the commission to review its approach to avoid creating fear or confusion within the media industry.
