New York City Mayor Provides Influencers with Access to City Hall Communications

<p>New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is providing access to a network of approximately 200 social media influencers who promote municipal programs online, according to a report by the Columbia Journalism Review.</p><p>The influencers receive their talking points through an encrypted Signal group text called "NYC Creators Announcements." The Signal app has a feature that can automatically delete messages after a set period, raising questions about compliance with city record-keeping laws.</p><p>When asked about the use of Signal and its compliance with city laws, Mamdani stated, "My administration will always strive to fully comply with all legal requirements, including those that relate to the preservation of city records." He added that if there are any legal departures, corrective action would be taken.</p><p>The use of Signal for government communications has previously drawn scrutiny, notably when sensitive military details were shared in a Signal group involving a journalist. The Columbia Journalism Review report noted that while influencers are not paid by the city for their participation, some receive payments from marketing firms with contracts from city agencies for specific campaigns. The municipal programs promoted include voting, healthcare, immigration, tenants’ rights, participatory budgeting, and composting.</p><p>City employees reported that payments to influencers for their work ranged from $5,000 to $20,000 per campaign. The Signal group was formed from Creators4Zohran, a group that supported Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral campaign. Mamdani was elected as the first socialist mayor of New York City.</p><p>The group chat is managed by Emilia Rowland, the New York City director of new media and cultural communications, who provides daily updates and talking points for the influencers to use in their posts. The chat functions similarly to a traditional press list used by communications teams to distribute information to reporters.</p><p>Cities are increasingly utilizing influencers to promote municipal services and engage the public more directly than through traditional media. Mamdani stated, "New Yorkers get their news in a wide variety of ways, and it is our responsibility to ensure that we communicate information from city government directly to the people of the city, whether that means to all of you, to TV, to radio, to social media, to content creators and so on and so forth."</p><p>Fox News Digital reached out to City Hall but did not receive a response at the time this report was published.</p>