Editor responds to Kaya FM comments
JOBURG - Editor defends her column, What's free wi-fi with no connection?, and denies it has racist undertones.
Radio station Kaya FM has accused the editor of the Rosebank Killarney Gazette, Megan McLean, of being uninformed in suggesting that only the minority would benefit from Wi-Fi in taxis.
This after the radio station asked listeners to share their thoughts on her column, What’s free Wi-Fi with no connection?
The station also posted on their Facebok page:
Last week Santaco announced that they will be introducing Wi-Fi in all taxis. The editor of the Rosebank Killarney Gazette is questioning whether the “people who need the service are really going to be getting it?” She is concerned with the fact that the masses may not have access to smartphones which are normally owned by the elite. Business Tech states that smartphone usage is on the rise in the country with an estimated 20 million users, compared with the 52.98 million population of South Africa. Do you think she has a point? Or maybe she just doesn’t know the market? Share your thoughts.
However, many appeared to have interpreted the article as being racist and fired back at the editor saying that she does not know what she is talking about.
McLean responded, “The column does not mention race or whether the people in question are employed or not. The facts remain, not everyone has a smartphone, and while I agree there are many taxi commuters who do use smartphones and are connected – the masses are not.
“The column mentions that according to a report, there are 20 million people in the country who have smartphones. That’s not even 50 percent of the population – so yes, those who are connected are the elite few. When you think of the millions of South African’s who use taxis on a daily basis, you cannot assume they all have smartphones.
“The presenters of the show question if I know the market…? I put the question back to them – do they really know the market? Just because they have seen someone in a taxi with a smartphone, does not mean all, or the majority of taxi commuters have them – that is stereotyping at best. Maybe those without smartphones need to come tell us what they think… wait, sorry, they can’t access the free Wi-Fi so probably don’t know this debate is taking place.”
What’s racist about the opinion piece? Unless I’ve also got it wrong, but the demographics of the majority of taxi users would surely imply smartphones would be out of their financial reach? No matter the race!
What’s racist about the opinion piece? Unless I’ve also got it wrong, but the demographics of the majority of taxi users would surely imply smartphones would be out of their financial reach? No matter the race!
I fail to see any connection with racial aggravation with this story as heard on Kaya FM. All the people who commented negatively have clearly not understood the piece or do not know what statistics are. At the same time all the negative comments are most likely from urban/city commuters who draw their opinions “facts” from observations. All the (20 odd million) other commuters are rural working people, and we haven’t heard from them now have we? Kaya FM shame on you for your derogatory (irrelevant) comments to Mclean as she was not on air for a response to this? and shame on you for failing to exercise your brains.