Musician and activist Kwame A-Plus, whose real name is Kwame Asare Obeng, has criticized Ghanaian media for their role in the Chef Smith cook-a-thon scandal. He believes the media’s poor research led to the controversy.
Chef Smith, a Ghanaian chef, tried to break the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking duration by cooking for 35 days at the Accra City Mall. Ghanaians praised his effort, and donations and sponsorships were made to help hit this height.
Two months later, Chef Smith presented a certificate, which he claimed was from Guinness World Records, declaring him the new record holder. The news was widely celebrated by media houses and spread all over social media. Major media outlets featured it on their websites and blogs.
However, it was later revealed that Chef Smith had faked the certificate. He admitted he never applied for the record attempt and apologized to Ghanaians for the embarrassment he caused.
In a panel discussion on UTV with MzGee, Kwame A-Plus blamed the media for deceiving the public. He argued that the media should have done better research before announcing the record. “Ghanaian media houses failed us in this regard. What prevented them from confirming with the Guinness World Records website and social media for official communication before publishing? This is a wake-up call for all media houses, including this one (UTV). You all failed!” he said.
Kwame A-Plus’s comments highlight the importance of thorough research and verification by the media to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Written by: Desaan
