Minneapolis City Council said on Monday that it no longer plans to hire social media influencers to spread messages approved by the city during the murder trial against Derek Chauvin, a former police officer accused of the death of George Floyd, after activists accused the city of buying the narrative on The Case.
During a virtual briefing discussing public safety and preparations for the trial, David Rubedor, director of Community Relations and Neighborhoods (NCR) of Minneapolis, apologized after receiving negative feedback from community members about plans to pay six US influencers. $ 2,000 each to spread messages to blacks, Native American Communities, Somali, Hmong and Latinx.
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“Although I believe and support the intention of this recommendation, we saw that the impact caused damage to our communities and for that reason I am sorry,” said Rubedor. “We recognize that we have caused damage and will work to repair the damage caused by this strategy. At this point, we will not move forward with this strategy.”
Workers install barbed wire between fenced barriers outside the Hennepin County Government Center, Wednesday, February 23, 2021 in Minneapolis, as part of security in preparation for the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. (AP Photo / Jim Mone)
The $ 12,000 set to employ social media influencers was just part of a communication and scaling plan approved by the City Council on Friday in partnership with community leaders and local media to fight disinformation during the trial.
Rubedor said the NCR “will continue to make recommendations for the joint information system with the intention of the city doing better to reach its residents in ways that are meaningful to them, but we will not be looking for cultural social media partners.”
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“It was never about trying to persuade or change public opinion about any particular message, but about getting important information quickly and equitably,” said Rubedor, explaining that his department was looking for ways to ensure that residents “were informed in timely and accurate information in ways that are meaningful to them. “
Local activists criticized the move, arguing that the city intended to buy the narrative around the trial, eradicate freedom of speech and protests and turn influencers into spokesmen for the city, WCCO reported.
“We heard that many residents are not connected to the city’s traditional information sharing routes and we often hear from residents that they were not informed about significant information or resources that were available,” he continued, explaining his earlier reasoning on social media plan . “We also hear from communities, through our experience, that if we ask them to help the city by doing their job, we must honor that job and reward them for that job.”
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“For this strategy, we use the term ‘social media influencer’, which in retrospect does not accurately reflect what we are asking from our partners and has caused confusion in the community.”
The city’s communication strategy, called the Joint Information System (JIS), aims to “offer improved community services during the test to keep people informed and safe, especially non-English and black, indigenous communities of color (BIPOC) and small businesses that they do not trust traditional media. ”
Workers install barbed wire on the fence outside the Hennepin County Government Center on Wednesday, February 23, 2021 in Minneapolis, as part of security preparations for the trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin. (AP Photo / Jim Mone)
During the briefing on Monday, police officers also discussed their strategy for the trial called “Operation: Safety Net”, which will initiate the full deployment of police forces and the National Guard when the final arguments and a verdict are announced.
Floyd, who was black, died on May 25 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck while he was handcuffed and begging that he could not breathe. Chauvin faces charges of wrongful death and wrongful death. The jury selection begins on March 8, with opening statements scheduled for March 29.
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said more than 3,000 police from across the state and National Guard soldiers will be ready when the case goes to the jury. Last week, the mayor declared that Minneapolis remains “open for business” and said that people should live their lives normally.
But the new security measures surrounding the Hennepin County Courthouse, City Hall and Prison – all in the heart of the city center – include three concrete barrier rings, two of them topped by a wire fence with a gutter in the middle. filled with barbed wire spirals. The innermost fence is covered with barbed wire and the ground floor windows in all three buildings are boarded up, the Associated Press reported.