Minneapolis City Council on Monday said it was no longer proceeding with plans to contract social media influencers to spread messages approved by the city during the murder trial of Derek Chauvin, a former police officer in George Floyd’s death was not charged, after activists accused the city of buying the story the case.
David Rubedor, Director of Environment and Community Relations (NCR) in Minneapolis, during a virtual briefing, discussed the preparations for the upcoming trial, apologizing after receiving negative feedback from community members about the plans to have six influencers each. To pay $ 2,000 for the distribution of messages directed at Black. , Indian, Somali, Hmong and Latinx communities.
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“Although I believe in the intent of this recommendation and support it, we have seen that the impact has caused harm in our communities, and for that I am sorry,” Rubedor said. “We acknowledge that we have caused damage and we will work to repair the damage caused by this strategy. At this stage, we will not proceed with this strategy.”
Workers install concertina wire between fenced barriers outside Hennepin County Government Center, Wednesday, February 23, 2021 in Minneapolis, as part of security in preparation for the trial of Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer. (AP Photo / Jim Mone)
The $ 12,000 that social media influencers employed was only part of a more than $ 1 million communications and de-escalation plan approved by the city council on Friday to work with community leaders and local media to fight against misinformation during the trial.
Rubedor said the NCR will continue to make recommendations to the joint information system with the intention of making the city better able to reach its residents in ways that are meaningful to them, but we will not pursue the cultural social media partners not. ‘
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“It was never about trying to persuade or change public opinion on a particular message, but it was about getting important information out quickly and fairly,” Rubedor said, explaining that his department looking for ways to ensure that residents’ are informed. and accurate information in ways that are meaningful to them. “
Local activists criticized the move, arguing that the city aimed to buy the story over the trial, erase freedom of speech and protests, and turn influencers into mouthpieces for the city, WCCO reported.
“We have heard that many residents are not connected to the city’s traditional routes to share information, and we have often heard from residents that they have not been informed about significant information or resources that were available,” he continued. explained previous reasoning on social media. plan. “We have also heard through our experience of communities that if we ask them to help the city by doing their job, we should respect that job and compensate them for it.”
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“For this strategy, we used the term ‘social media influencer’, which in retrospect does not accurately reflect what we are asking of our partners, and it has caused confusion in the community.”
The city communication strategy, called the Joint Information System (JIS), aims to provide ‘improved community services during the trial to keep people informed and safe, especially non-English and black, indigenous people of color (BIPOC) and small businesses what it does do not rely on traditional media. ‘
Workers install barbed wire on fences outside the Hennepin County Government Center, Wednesday, February 23, 2021 in Minneapolis, as part of security preparations for the trial of Derek Chauvin, a former Minneapolis police officer. (AP Photo / Jim Mone)
During the briefing on Monday, police officers also discussed their strategy for the trial, called “Operation: Safety Net”, which would begin the full deployment of law enforcement troops and the National Guard when closing arguments and verdicts are expected to be announced.
Floyd, who was black, died on May 25 after Chauvin, who is White, pressed his knee to Floyd’s neck while handcuffed and begged him not to be able to breathe. Chauvin is facing charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter. The jury’s selection begins March 8 with the opening statements scheduled for March 29.
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Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said more than 3,000 law enforcers 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 is ‘open for business’, saying that people should work as usual.
But new security measures around the courthouse, town hall and jail in Hennepin County – all in the heart of the city center – include three rings of concrete barriers, two of which are fenced with chain links and a bowl in between filled with rolls of razor wire. The inner fence is covered with barbed wire and windows on the ground floor at all three buildings are on board, reports The Associated Press.