The City of Minneapolis will hire social media influencers to share information before, during, and after the trials of four former police officers.
In May 2020, George Floyd died in police custody, leading to widespread protests in the US and around the world. The police officers involved in his death were sacked and are now on trial for his murder.
To ensure that members of the community and elected leaders have “direct access to information in real-time,” the City of Minneapolis has approved a plan to hire six social media influencers to share “approved messages” before, during, and following the trials.
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According to reports, the City will pay six influencers around $2,000 each to share its messaging with members of Black, Native American, Hmong, and Latino communities – the ultimate goal being to “address/dispel incorrect information.” The initiative is part of the city’s so-called “Joint Information System” being built especially to share information with the public during these trials.
“We intend to offer enhanced community services during the trial to keep people informed and safe, especially non-English and Black, Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) communities and small businesses that do not rely on traditional media,” explains the city in a statement.
“The goal is to increase access to information to communities that do not typically follow mainstream news sources or city communications channels and/or who do not consume information in English.”