Quest for popularity shouldn't push us to do anything - Sulemana Brahim on Captain Smart's arrest

Captain Smart arrested

Media General questions basis for Captain Smart’s arrest as he is released

MFWA boss reacts

The Executive Director at the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, has waded into the discussions surrounding the arrest and bail of the outspoken broadcast journalist, Captain Smart.

On December 2, 2021, the Nima Divisional Police Command announced that they had arrested the host of Onua Maakye on Onua TV, Blessed Godsbrain Smart popularly known as “Captain Smart” over some "unsavoury pronouncements that hinge on peace and security."

"The Nima Divisional Police Command today, Thursday, December 2, 2021, arrested Blessed Godsbrain Smart popularly known as “Captain Smart”, the host of Onua TV/FM morning show in Accra.

"He was arrested following some unsavoury pronouncements that hinge on peace and security.

"He has been cautioned on the offence of offensive conduct conducive to breaches of the peace as provided under section 207 of the Criminal Act, 1960 (Act 29)," the statement said.

Later, Captain Smart was granted bail after having been cautioned, following his employers, Media General, issued a statement to express their worry over the manner in which the police have been handling the professional work of journalists.

“Today’s arrest and detention of Captain Smart is by no means an isolated incident, but just one more egregious example of the intolerance increasingly creeping into the Ghanaian society. We are convinced that a careful review of the entire statement made by Captain Smart would reveal that it did not amount to threats to the peace and or stability of the country as claimed by the Ghana Police.

“The Media General Group would like to urge the Ghana Police Service and the IGP to exercise restraint in their dealings with journalists legitimately doing their work and dismiss these broad charges so that press freedom would be protected,” the statement from Media General said in part.

But the MFWA boss, Sulemana Braimah, has explained that much as the media has the freedom to practice independently and without fear, the quest for popularity should not drive the media to accept just about anything it produces.

“Abusive, unprofessional journalism is a potent threat to press freedom. Journalists can be fearless, independent, critical, and impactful without being abusive. The competition for audience and quest for popularity should not push us to do just anything in the name of journalism,” he said in a tweet.

See his tweet here:

Abusive, unprofessional journalism is a potent threat to press freedom. Journalists can be fearless, independent, critical and impactful without being abusive. The competition for audience and quest for popularity should not push us to do just anything in the name of journalism.

— Sulemana Braimah (@sulemana) December 3, 2021

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