Minneapolis Tried to Hire “Influencers” for Derek Chauvin’s Trial

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Mar 2

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A parent and child place flowers at a memorial to George Floyd, May 31, 2020, in Minneapolis [AP/John Minchillo]

This week, the city of Minneapolis scrapped plans to hire “social media influencers” as part of an information campaign to run during the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis cop who killed George Floyd in May. Jury selection begins next week.

Officials argued that social media influencers could reach people who otherwise wouldn’t get good information, like residents who don’t speak English. But as Vice pointed out, the campaign was “part of a $1.2 million communications strategy focused on controlling protests and preventing property damage.” The plan reflects the officials’ fears of protests, a familiar pattern when police who kill have been acquitted.

It might seem strange that Minneapolis would hire influencers to smooth over community anger at the police, but this would-be campaign mimics others. In recent years, police have used online platforms to present themselves as fun and friendly members of a community, instead of its frequent antagonists. These campaigns surged after Floyd’s death, with some police social media accounts (falsely) accusing protesters of hoarding bricks and others releasing music videos that expressed sadness over Floyd’s death or solidarity with protesters.

Sarah Davis of The Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis said bluntly that the effort by city officials “reflects that they know there’s a lack of trust between community and city institutions.” No pivot to influencers is going to solve that.