At the October 2025 Broadcasters Convention of Southern Africa that took place in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, Mr Stanley Similo – the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) Director General (and the President of the Southern Africa Broadcasting Association – SABA) – underscored the critical role of credible storytelling and the maintenance of robust public trust as core tenets of public broadcasting, emphasising that NBC remains a crucial point of validation for news in the digital age.
Mr Similo further highlighted that credibility is a non-negotiable priority in running any story, acknowledging the unique pressure and responsibility that come with being a public broadcaster.
“The NBC maintains a disciplined, centralised news structure, run by a Head of News who reports to the Chief of Programs. While the Director General serves as the Editor-in-Chief, staff typically consult them only when unsure how to handle a complex story. Editorial integrity is ensured through a layered internal system in which the Head of News and supporting editors (from the assignment editor to the output editor) are guided by a robust editorial policy framework and a style book. This framework dictates how stories are treated based on their origin, ensuring consistent and ethical reporting across the board,” he said.
A central element of this commitment is rigorous fact-checking, which Mr Similo affirmed is essential because news must never be taken at face value. The verification process is crucial for avoiding apologies and potential costly legal action. Furthermore, the network rigorously upholds the Right to Reply, a critical practice for ensuring fairness and preventing individuals from claiming, particularly on social media, that the NBC is unfair or autocratic.
Mr Similo expressed confidence in NBC’s position as a trusted news source, noting its emerging status as a “point of validation” to which the public increasingly turns to verify circulating information. This positive sign, however, adds significant pressure to ensure absolute truthfulness, especially given the quick pace of other media outlets seeking to break news first.
According to Mr Similo, the NBC remains dedicated to delivering accurate, fair, and unbiased reporting to the public, underpinned by a disciplined editorial process that upholds the highest standards of journalism.
To watch the highlights from Mr Similo’s discussion, click HERE.
