Food Education or disinformation? Disputes over authority in the mediation of food knowledge on Instagram

Abstract

In the twenty-first century, a plurality of individuals has begun to disseminate information about gastronomy and nutrition through non-traditional circuits of legitimation, especially on digital social media. These agents act as symbolic mediators between different fields, attaining positions of authority both through legitimate instances of consecration and through the visibility gained on the internet. This study aims to analyze the social properties of symbolic mediators who have come to speak about nutrition and gastronomy on Instagram. The research adopted a mixed-methods approach and involved the collection of data on 137 such mediators, based on public interviews, their Instagram pages, and, complementarily, content on YouTube and on the websites of major newspapers. The results indicate a group of individuals marked by distinct social origins, educational backgrounds, and media circulation. Visibility on Instagram adds value and credibility and is mobilized as a distinctive marker in relation to the public, even when it does not correspond to a high level of professional recognition according to orthodox criteria of legitimacy in traditional fields. Educational credentials appear as a resource for legitimation and a strategy for gaining popularity; however, academic training in other areas does not constitute a barrier for these agents to speak publicly about food on social media.