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It was a rude awakening.
A young brunette in a tiny sundress traipsing around a field of sunflowers, a photographer following dutifully behind.
She was one of half a dozen “reporters” on a media tour of a 2,000-acre farm that is a major player in agriculture on Oahu’s North Shore.
I know most of the news people in town, but I did not recognize the majority of the faces in this media group.
“Who are these people?” I asked the coordinator of the tour.
The answer dumbfounded me.
They were a new breed of so-called reporters known as “social media influencers.” I was told that the woman whose professional attire consisted of a sundress over a bikini was invited because she had an impressive 35,000 Instagram followers.
Are you kidding me? That’s my competition?
I actually went to journalism school to study my craft. I spent years learning about accurate, fair and balanced reporting. I have a passion for meaningful journalism.
Yet here I was, one of the only traditional journalists in the exclusive media group of mostly nontraditional reporters.
I hastily scrolled through her social media feed to see what kind of news she was reporting that drew such a significant audience. It was disheartening to say the least.
Her social-media page was filled with half-naked photos of the “influencer” at various locations throughout the island.
Is this what journalism has come to? Is that the kind of “news” people want to see?
Never mind journalistic integrity and credible sources, she was Insta-famous!
As the farm manager talked about the 20 acres of sunflowers that blossom
for two weeks of the year and attract more than
20,000 sightseers to Waialua, the influencer and her photographer suddenly disappeared into the vast field of golden blooms.
What were they doing? I wondered aloud. Perhaps indecently frolicking among those pure and innocent sunflowers while “broadcasting live” online.
The farm manager did not seem to be fazed by the potentially awkward situation. That happens on occasion, he said. People like to post provocative photos amid the bright and cheery plants.
“We try to tell people they can’t do that because this is a family attraction.”
I understand there’s a whole new generation disseminating news in a whole new way. But I was completely shocked that traditional journalists were being lumped together with underclothed influencers as “the media.”
I also realize that the young woman with thousands of subscribers probably attracted significant publicity for the farm. I, however, won’t be posting any scantily clad pictures in my news reports.
“She Speaks” is a weekly column by women writers of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Reach Kristen Consillio at kconsillio@staradvertiser.com.
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