Minneapolis City Council unanimously approved the payment of six social media influencers to spread city-approved messages and updates during the ex-officer murder trial Derek Chauvin, who was accused of the death of George Floyd. On Friday, the board approved $ 1,181,500 for communication with the community during the trial, reports CBS Minnesota.
The city says social media partners will help to dispel potential misinformation and that influencers will intentionally target black, indigenous, Somali, Hmong and Latino communities with their messages. Each influencer will receive $ 2,000.
The goal is “to increase access to information for communities that normally do not follow the city’s main news sources or communication channels and / or that do not consume information in English,” the Minneapolis City Council said in a statement. “It is also an opportunity to create more two-way communication between the city and the communities.”
The city council has not yet finalized how they will choose influencers, but said the selections will be based on recommendations from the city’s Community and Neighborhood Relations team.
Some activists and lawyers are concerned about the decision.
Toussaint Morrison, an activist with over 11,000 followers on Instagram, uses his platform to educate the community. He is concerned about the prejudice behind the information that will come from a city-financed influencer.
“The key word here is ‘city approved’,” said Morrison. “What do you think the message will be? It will probably be pro-city. It will be anti-protest.”
Sarah Davis, executive director of the Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis, said the council’s decision sends a clear message.
“It really reflects that they know there is a lack of trust between the community and the city’s institutions and this is real. Let’s be honest about it, this is real,” said Davis.
Your company plans to offer legal expertise and questions and answers during the trial.
“What we’re really trying to do is help people understand what they’re going to see and answer questions about it,” said Davis.
The city council plans to discuss more details about the new positions at an online public meeting on Monday at 10am
Floyd’s death last year sparked outrage and a wave of unrest in Minneapolis and across the country, with violence and looting in some cities. Many demonstrated peacefully.