Influencers, Advocates, and the Coffee Table We’re Still Waiting For

By Scotty Alu, Policy and Governance Advocate – Port Moresby

In a world shaped by narratives, content creation isn’t just entertainment — it’s power. That power can either be used to polish a nation’s image or provoke the difficult conversations it needs to have. And in Papua New Guinea today, we’re seeing two very different styles of storytelling collide.

On one hand, we have Diana Daisy Gau, a Kenyan travel blogger who paid her own way to PNG, travelled respectfully, and has created stunning, uplifting content about the beauty, culture, and spirit of our people. Her videos have gone viral for all the right reasons: they portray PNG as a place of wonder, warmth, and resilience. She’s inspired pride in citizens and curiosity in foreigners — and for that, she deserves credit.

On the other hand, we have Big Lee, Alfred Andapanga, and the Kabbage Gang — PNG’s outspoken digital voices. They are not tourists, but rather locals documenting the realities from within. Their livestreams are gritty, unpolished, emotional, and often confrontational. But to reduce their work to “rants” is to miss the point entirely.

These three aren’t trying to sell PNG to the world. They’re trying to wake PNG up.

Their content stems from a place of frustration and deep concern. They represent the voiceless — the rural mother walking miles for medicine, the youth with no job despite a booming extractive industry, the landowner watching their birthright vanish into foreign hands. These creators have chosen to shine a torch on corruption, abuse of power, and systemic failures — not because it gets likes, but because they live the consequences daily.

It’s easy to celebrate content that flatters. It’s much harder to face content that challenges. Yet both are necessary.

The Real Issue: Selective Recognition

What has stoked anger isn’t Diana Daisy’s presence — most Papua New Guineans are proud to see a foreign visitor fall in love with our land. Hospitality is in our DNA. What bothers many is the selective recognition by our Prime Minister.

When he sat down with Diana over coffee — which was commendable — it raised an obvious question: Why hasn’t he done the same with the likes of Big Lee, Andapanga, or the Kabbage Gang?

If he can meet a foreigner who says, “PNG is beautiful,” why can’t he meet Papua New Guineans who are saying, “PNG deserves better”?

Why is constructive criticism treated as a threat instead of an invitation to dialogue?

Our leaders must understand that true patriotism isn’t just about waving the flag — it’s also about holding those in power accountable. The Big Lees of PNG aren’t trying to destroy the country’s image. They’re trying to rescue its soul.

Two Truths Can Coexist

We must stop pitting positivity against accountability. Both serve a purpose:

Diana Daisy promotes the potential of PNG.

Big Lee , Àndapangab, Kabbage Kang, and others highlight the reality we must overcome. What is of national importance and the future of PNG going forward.

One tells the story of our beauty. The other tells the story of our brokenness. And both are true.

Conversation, Not Division

Instead of mocking local advocates for being “negative,” we should ask: What drives their passion? What pain are they voicing? Dismissing them is not only unjust — it’s dangerous. It silences a necessary part of the national conversation.

So here’s a challenge to our leaders: Don’t just share coffee with influencers. Share space with your critics too. Not every meeting needs to be for a photo op. Sometimes, it’s for listening.

PNG doesn’t need to choose between sunshine and shadow. We need to embrace both — and use that full picture to guide our way forward.

Because a nation that only listens to praise will never fix its problems.