Coronavirus: Influencers' glossy lifestyles lose their shine

It's hard to believe that even in lockdown, life on Instagram can look idyllic.

Last month, Manchester-born Jack Morris posted a photograph in his swimwear, standing in an infinity pool against a pink sunset in Bali.

"Lauren and I are trying to stay inside in our villa as much as possible and comply with social distancing," he wrote.

"It sucks but if everyone does their part, the quicker this will be over!"

The post caused some of his 2.7 million followers to lash out, responding with comments like: "Things could be worse, mate."

The economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic are far-reaching, and advertising and marketing budgets are among the first things businesses are cutting back on as they try to survive.

That spells trouble for the media industry at large, all the way from the biggest of the newspaper brands down to the one-person-band social media creators.

And in the case of those so-called "influencers" not only is sponsorship evaporating, but also their ability to generate content as brands stop providing products to try out and ditch plans for press trips.

Travel bloggers hit
"My last trip was in February, I was due to go to Finland in March, Ethiopia in April and the Maldives next week - I probably spend over half the year out of the country," travel content creator, Alex Outhwaite, explains.