When the Voice That Should Inform Begins to Destroy: A Call to Media Accountability.
Imagine a match being struck in a room full of gasoline. Now imagine that match being lit not by the uninformed, but by those trusted to provide light and clarity. That’s the destructive power of unchecked media, a power history has shown us all too clearly. As you may recall, the Rwandan Genocide remains a grim evidence to what happens when the media becomes a weapon, inciting violence and fueling chaos. And today, in Ghana, we are witnessing echoes of that same danger as reckless statements and irresponsible journalism threaten to unravel our social fabric.
Captain Smart, one of the loudest voices at Media General, is the match in the room. His recent attempt to dissociate himself from the tragic Obuasi Galamsey fracas, where lives have been lost in the struggle over the Cote d'Or pit, is as disturbing as it is disingenuous. His ego-driven response in a video circulating online, dripping with deflection and a lack of remorse, is an insult to the lives lost and the communities torn apart. Instead of owning his influence and addressing the harm caused by his rhetoric, he has chosen to fan the flames with arrogance.
But what is even more deafening than his reckless words is the silence of Media General, the very platform that enables his voice. In failing to condemn his actions or issue a statement, Media General has allowed the trust placed in them by the public to erode. Their inaction sends a dangerous message: that ratings and sensationalism matter more than the truth, more than lives, more than their responsibility as gatekeepers of information.
We must not look away. History has warned us of the devastation that follows when those with influence act without accountability. Rwanda taught us that when the media fails to uphold its duty, the cost is paid in blood. The Obuasi incident is not just another headline, it is a tragedy rooted in the misuse of platforms like Captain Smart’s.
To Media General, we say this: Do better. Hold Captain Smart accountable. Condemn his reckless statements. Reaffirm your commitment to responsible journalism, because your silence is complicity. To remain silent is to betray the very trust your platform was built on.
And to all of us, let this serve as a reminder: words are not just words. They shape our realities, our communities, and our futures. Let us demand accountability from those entrusted with influence, before another match is struck
Source: Romeo Tweneboah Koduah /Integrity Network/Alrich24newsgh.blogspot.com
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