The Feed

We continue our experiment to turn journalist Calliste Weitenberg into a fake Instagram influencer. This episode, she signs with a well-known social media agency and the free stuff starts streaming in. From detox teas to g-strings, Calliste learns that there is close to no regulation around what she can and can't flog on her account and even worse, no-one to enforce it. But the consequences for millions of social media users can be devastating - even deadly.

The program continues its investigation into the murky world of social media influencers. This episode, journalist Calliste Weitenberg tries everything to grow her fake Instagram account - from fake tan to awkward bikini selfies. But with her follower count staying stubbornly low, she turns to dodgy websites that offer fake followers for cash. Will she get caught? Or has Calliste just bought her way into the $15 billion influencer marketing industry?

We take a deep dive into the murky world of social media influencers. In a wild experiment, journalist Calliste Weitenberg and producer Elise Potaka build a fake influencer persona to see if they can cash in on what's now a $15 billion industry. Documenting the process over six months, the series examines the rise of a new frontier in advertising, where influencers are paid or given contra to spruik products. Everyone is out to make a buck, but at what cost?