'Day Zero can be a teaching moment for the privileged'

Journo Karyn Maughan responds to callers who believe media focuses on issues like water crisis only when it affects the wealthy.

Public reaction to the Cape Town water crisis has put the spotlight on how the media tends to over report when the issue touches the lives of the more privileged strata of society and often neglects the millions of South Africans have lived with a Day Zero scenario since birth.

Listeners on the Eusebius McKaiser Show shared the sentiment that media is part of the problem because it places little emphasis on the daily experiences of poor South Africans.

Investigative journalist Karyn Maughan hopes that those who are privileged will grasp the extent of the situation and become more empathetic.

Callers are absolutely right, there is an incredible hypocrisy within the media about what we choose to emphasise. I remember going to Lillydale and the community in frustration had burnt down a municipal office, when I spoke to the community they had been without water for six months. At that time I was kind of the only journalist that was there.

Karyn Maughan , investigative journalist

There is a discomfort in crowing about the fact that you are doing all these amazing things to save water. That is great but this is the reality of poverty in this country and in case you forgot 54% of the country is living in poverty.

Karyn Maughan , investigative journalist

We must never celebrate suffering in any form.

Karyn Maughan, investigative journalist

Maughan says she hopes this will be an opportunity for those more privileged to grasp the daily living conditions of millions of South Africans - and maybe even ask people how they do it.

Click on the link below to hear Maughn share more stories about the lack of access to water in SA....

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