The city of Minneapolis will be hiring six social media influencers to spread city-approved messages about the trial of Derek Chauvin, the police officer being charged with murder for the death of George Floyd, CBS News reports.
The hiring of social media influencers is part of a larger communications initiative by the city which is expected to cost$1,181,500. Each of the six social media influencers will be paid $2,000.
The influencers are supposed to dispel misinformation about the trial and killing and are expected to be largely targeting minority groups within the city.
According to Minneapolis City Council, 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."
It will also apparently help establish "two-way communication" between the city and the people who live there.
The plan has received some pushback from residents, with one local Instagram user boasting 11,000 followers expressing concern that city-approved messaging won't correct misinformation, but would rather create an official narrative.
"The key word here is 'city-approved,'" said Toussaint Morrison. "What do you think the message is going to be? It's going to probably be pro-city."
Minneapolis Legal Rights Center executive director Sarah Davis said that the city hiring social media influencers "reflects that they know there's a lack of trust between community and city institutions." She says her firm will be helping to answer public questions during the trial.
The city council has not yet explained how influencers will be chosen by the city, but are expected to release more information about the plan on Monday.
The death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, resulted in widespread civil unrest across the United States, sparking both peaceful protests against police brutality and violent riots which caused billions in property damage, most notably in Minneapolis itself.
Derek Chauvin, the officer who has been criminally charged in Floyd's death, is facing an upcoming trial. In light of that trial, the city leaders are concerned that there could be additional civil unrest.
Minneapolis has taken steps to ensure that the courthouse is extremely well guarded, erecting concrete barriers topped with barbed wire around the building where the trial will take place.
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