It was the year 2003 when a young man called into the studios of Luv FM in Kumasi. A young lady had been stabbed to death by her boyfriend in his neighbourhood and he wanted to share the news with others.
When asked if he could narrate the incident on live radio, he did not hesitate to jump at the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and agreed to do it.
At the time only a level 100 student of the University of Cape Coast, this young man already had one foot in the door at the media establishment as a receptionist and was somewhat familiar with the terrain.
He took every bit of the opportunity that offer gave him and never looked back; turning every chance that came his way into a stepping stone that has over the years propelled him towards the dream he envisaged for himself as a young man.
That single report he did was all it took for him to be noticed by Luv FM’s news editor at that time the late Saeed Ali Yaqub.
Unbeknownst to him, what was to be his 1st day back at the front desk of Luv FM became his 1st day in the newsroom. Thus, the journalistic career of Seth Kwame Boateng was born
“I went very early that morning. Saeed came and said follow me to the newsroom,” Seth recounted.
From that point on, every opportunity that presented itself was his to explore.
He soon realized that the trajectory that his life had been set on would not be without its challenges.
Seth recounts how he had to pay for his own transportation to follow up on the news stories he was working on.
“Nobody was paying my transportation. I sacrificed,” he said with a sense of pride.
Determined to see his dream fulfilled, Seth kept his eye on the prize and weathered the storms of his new life as a journalist.
Motivated by the challenges he faced growing up, Seth was determined to use the gift he had been given to transform the lives of others for the better.
“I do these stories to trigger change because what I went through as a child, I keep telling myself that I don’t want anybody to go through that,” says Seth, who happens to be the last of 17 children in his family.
Today, he is one of the longest-serving journalists with The Multimedia Group and an invaluable member of the institution and a multiple award-winning journalist of international repute.
The young boy from Amakom has over the years blazed the trail and has set new standards in the media landscape in the country in his own unique way.
His care and empathy for the vulnerable fueled his drive as a journalist and led him to develop reports that have gone on to touch the lives of many across the country.
He found his niche in creating stories that transformed lives, reformed policies and expedited change in deplorable conditions. All these have contributed to tangible changes in the very fabric of the Ghanaian society.
Some of Seth’s works have triggered paradigm shifts that run the gamut from prison reforms, extensive improvement in healthcare infrastructure to the alleviation of the plight of the very vulnerable in society.
Documentaries like ‘Locked and Forgotten’ in 2015 and ‘Left to Rot’ in 2016, have played an important role in recent prison reform efforts in the country.
Another award-winning story ‘Next to Die’ which highlighted the critical issue of child mortality and maternal deaths in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, succeeded in drawing the much-needed help and attention KATH needed to complete construction work on that unit of the hospital.https://www.youtube.com/embed/S278i3lHURA
Touched by the story, the First Lady of Ghana, other key institutions and individuals and the Multimedia Group Limited itself collaborated to raise over $2 million to complete an ultra-modern maternity and mother and baby unit for the hospital.
Subsequently, government, on May 15, 2020, cut the sod to revive the project which had been abandoned for 44 years.
The latest addition to Mr Boateng’s repertoire was the story of Dari Poga, an octogenarian left destitute by leprosy.
As a result of his report on her situation, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia heeded to the call for help and came to her rescue by donating some cash, food supplies, toiletries, and the construction of a 2 bedroom house.
In 2019, Mr Boateng bagged a third Master’s degree from the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom, adding on to his already remarkable wealth of experience.
At this stage in his career, Seth is looking at giving back in a different way.
He is currently looking forward to imparting his extensive knowledge and experience with the younger generation who also seek to make the same impact he has made in the industry, and thus keep the Seth Kwame Boateng spirit alive.
“I am still looking for people I can train to also do the kind of stories that I’m doing so that maybe I can retire one day,” he said heartily adding that “I really want to lecture in future and I am working towards that.”
He has also been inducted into the Ghana Leadership Hall of Fame after winning four categories of the Ghana Leadership Awards 2019.
As the Multimedia Group celebrates 25 years of excellent and impactful journalism, the contributions of dedicated journalists like Seth Kwame Boateng are worth mentioning as his efforts have added to the beautiful tapestry woven by the media conglomerate in the country.
The Multimedia Group, therefore, celebrates Seth Kwame Boateng with a very big “Ayekoo” and looks forward to more life-changing stories from this irreplaceable member of its team.