Yeah, these people have always been known as shills, sell-outs and charlatans.

'Influencer' is new-speak trying to hide their shadiness.

That seems unnecessarily harsh. In most cases it is quite clear which post is sponsored and which isn't. Are podcasters with ads sellouts too?

> Are podcasters with ads sellouts too?

Depends what they are shilling and whether the creators of the show would actually endorse those products themselves genuinely.

Like, I personally wouldn't have an issue endorsing something that I use myself, but I would absolutely be a sell-out if I did it just for the money. I'm not a salesman.

>In most cases it is quite clear which post is sponsored and which isn't.

It depends on where you set your bar. For some individuals (probably the bulk of Fyre Fest attendees) this is going to require explicit text.