Influence in the time of COVID-19 Part I (with BuzzFeed's Stephanie McNeal)

SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR! Book of the Month is a curated book subscription that offers five new and early-release books to choose from each month. Your first month's book is just $9.99 with code BETHEREINFIVE at bookofthemonth.com! This week, Kate is joined by Stephanie McNeal (a deputy breaking news director from BuzzFeed who specializes in reporting on influencers & internet culture) to talk about all things influencers in the time of COVID-19. They discuss the importance of holding people accountable, complexities of influencing the public in a tense social climate, how influencers are shifting their tone, how they respond to missteps, the appropriateness of sponsored content, loop giveaways, the real breakout star (tie-dye sweatsuits) and more. Beyond that, they discuss influencers at the center of current or previous controversies like Arielle Charnas, Caroline Calloway, and Rachel Hollis, to name a few. Come back for part 2 when Kate reviews the results of a survey she did where over a thousand of you shared your perspective, expectations, and recommendations for influencers during a time when their voice (or lack thereof) has the ability to stand out more than ever. And best of all, she'll review who you think has approached this situation extremely well and what content you're loving in order to end this on a positive note by celebrating the many many influencers who have done a great job. If you're new to the podcast, go to @bethereinfive's Instagram for a new listener guide that points you to popular episodes and different topics you can choose from. Enjoy!