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New York City Council
Oversight - Access to City Government and the Mamdani Administration’s Civic Engagement Efforts
Read summaries and jump into the video at the segment start.
Council staff welcomes attendees to the Committee on Governmental Operations, State and Federal Legislation hearing, instructs attendees to silence devices, explains that witnesses must fill out slips with the sergeant at arms, and notes no one may approach the dais.
Chair Gale Brewer convenes the hearing titled 'Access to Government and the Mamdani Administration Civic Engagement Efforts,' welcomes DORIS, the Office of Mass Engagement, the Campaign Finance Board, the Conflict of Interest Board, and colleagues including Council Member Wilson and the Public Advocate.
Brewer describes the four preconsidered bills: two sponsored by Minority Leader Carr on prohibiting candidates in government-funded third-party communications and reporting on third-party public communications, one by Council Member Feliz on disclosures for government-funded communications, and one by Council Member Wong on campaign finance disclosures for online content.
Brewer says government use of influencers is a good thing for public health, elections, and tourism, but notes inconsistency among agencies on disclosure wording and hashtags, citing Health and Hospitals and the Campaign Finance Board as examples of good practice.
Brewer cites a Columbia Journalism Review report by Dr. Anya Schiffrin on an invite-only Signal group used by the mayor's communications team to share talking points with influencers, raising concerns about auto-delete features and compliance with city document retention rules.
Brewer explains the mayor created the Office of Mass Engagement on his second day, absorbing the Community Affairs Unit, Public Engagement Unit, ethnic media office, faith-based partnerships, and NYC Service, and states the hearing will examine FOIL and archiving issues.
Brewer thanks Government Ops staff Johari Frazier, Erica Cohen, and Sigmo Hamid, and her staff Shula Puder and Cynthia Hornig, notes the presence of Minority Leader Carr, Council Member Wong, and Council Member Ariola on Zoom, and invites opening statements.
Carr describes the NYC Creators Announcements Signal group with over 200 influencers sharing daily talking points, criticizes Amelia Rowland's statement dismissing communication norms, and argues the encrypted disappearing-message app evades record-keeping laws.
Carr cites a New York Times AI analysis finding most influencer videos about the administration were positive, notes FTC disclosure rules and campaign finance requirements, and says his legislation would require disclosure of who collaborates with the mayor's office, the subject matter, and payments.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams testifies that New Yorkers should understand who is communicating with them and with what resources, noting city social media is branded but third-party communications raise new questions about distinguishing official government messages.
Williams cites DORIS's 2025 instant messaging policy requiring retention of messages documenting decisions, actions, or policies, and argues auto-delete features on Signal and WhatsApp violate public records laws and prevent FOIL responses.
Williams says he looks forward to reading the bills from Council Members Feliz, Wong, and Carr, states he doesn't know if the administration did anything wrong, and hopes the administration will assuage concerns about access, particularly for ethnic media.
Council staff administers the affirmation to the administration panelists, who raise their right hands and affirm to tell the truth before the committee.
Shanta Smith-Cruz, newly appointed Commissioner of the Department of Records and Information Services (DORIS), introduces colleagues Rose Nagel-Indigoyen, Lauren Gilbert, and Sylvia Collar, and notes she is joined by Commissioner Tasha Van Auken of the Office of Mass Engagement.
Smith-Cruz outlines DORIS's three divisions—municipal archives, municipal library, and municipal records—citing 11.3 million digitized items, 10.5 million historical vital records, 74,000 government publications, and 185,000 cubic feet of records, with 77% requiring preservation work.
Smith-Cruz describes the municipal records management division serving 65 government entities, overseeing digital records transition, and managing the city's open records FOIL portal, with City Council slated to onboard within the month.
Smith-Cruz explains the archival principle that not all records are archival, with retention schedules ranging from zero to 99 years or perpetuity, and introduces the May 2025 instant electronic messaging policy developed with the Law Department.
Smith-Cruz reads from the policy stating instant electronic messages are transitory by default with no expectation of retention, but users must transfer substantive content to a format appropriate for long-term storage, and the policy discourages creating substantive instant messages.
Smith-Cruz says DORIS implemented RecordPoint, used by 31 agencies including the Office of the Mayor to manage 215 million records, but it only maps government-supplied tools; social media posts are archived permanently via Civic Plus/Archive Social covering Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and others.
Smith-Cruz states DORIS does not see Council Member Carr's reporting bill as within its jurisdiction, noting DORIS is not asked to report on other agencies' work but can supply the government publications portal as a reporting tool.
Tasha Van Auken, Commissioner of the Mayor's Office of Mass Engagement, explains the office was created on the mayor's second day to bring New Yorkers into government, reaching hundreds of thousands on policies, services, extreme weather, and civic participation.
Van Auken details the Office of Faith-Based Partnerships building relationships at over 120 faith events, interfaith tenant canvasses, and community liaisons supporting cultural events like the African Heritage Reception and staffing parades across all five boroughs.
Van Auken describes the citywide constituent affairs team coordinating responses on deed theft, housing discrimination, and flooding; the emergency response team aiding during snowstorms and floods; and borough organizers attending over 240 community board meetings.
Van Auken says the events team supported over 30 events attended by 5,800 New Yorkers, the co-governance team helped launch a $3 million child care emergency grant program, and the campaigns team knocked on over 10,000 doors leading to nearly 2,500 organizing conversations.
Van Auken describes emergency response and faith partnerships emailing heat warnings to 600,000 New Yorkers and translating safety messaging, and the Public Engagement Unit knocking on 10,000 doors and making 40,000 calls to help 11,000 New Yorkers keep SNAP benefits.
Van Auken introduces CEC Chair Dr. Sarah Saeed, noting 134,000 New Yorkers participated in participatory budgeting with 26,000 non-English ballots; Chief Service Officer Laura Rogg of NYC Service supporting 900,000 people; and Deputy Commissioner De La Cruz of the Public Engagement Unit.
Van Auken says the city faces extreme weather, a cost of living crisis, deepening inequality, and all-time low trust in government, and that OME is scaling historic civic engagement traditions while forging new models to involve New Yorkers.
Brewer notes Executive Order 23 gave the mayor's communications office authority over the Office of Ethnic and Community Media without rescinding Executive Order 7, and asks Van Auken to explain what happened to that office; Van Auken confirms it now lives under the communications team and refers further questions there.
Brewer notes Mazin Minaham will head the Office of Ethnic and Community Media and asks about Amelia Rowland's role in that office; Van Auken says she must refer Brewer to the communications department for details.
Brewer asks how a city employee is supposed to know what counts as substantive versus transitory, giving the example of sending out policy material; Smith-Cruz says determination is based on continuous training, liaison relationships, quarterly records management officer meetings, and onboarding.
Brewer gives the example of a message about a mayor's press conference on DoorDash and asks whether that would be substantive and require moving off Signal; Smith-Cruz says records management focuses on the function of the record and it is ultimately up to the agency and user to determine.
Brewer asks whether material sent via Signal would be subject to FOIL and therefore retained; Smith-Cruz explains FOIL only covers records city agencies possess or maintain, and instant messages are not considered records under the DORIS 2025 policy, so they are not required to exist.
Brewer asks how OME decides what campaigns to run and how it measures success; Van Auken says campaigns focus on issues New Yorkers raise like affordability, cites the current Talk to Tenants campaign with HPD and the mayor's office to protect tenants, and notes the Rent Guidelines Board turnout campaign doubled turnout.
Brewer asks what the special projects unit does; Deputy Commissioner De La Cruz explains it is a field team focused on benefits access, conducting door-to-door, phone, and peer-to-peer text outreach to connect New Yorkers to SNAP, fair fares, and child care, and spearheaded SNAP work requirement outreach.
Brewer asks whether PEU will publish outcomes of SNAP outreach and whether it uses influencers; De La Cruz says publishing falls under the Department of Social Services and that PEU does not work with influencers and has no budget for it.
Brewer asks what safeguards ensure OME does not engage in political work and what training exists; Van Auken says established legal rules govern separation of government and political activity and that everyone in the office takes them seriously, but she would follow up on training specifics.
Brewer asks about a January memo from the mayor's chief counsel telling mayoral agencies not to use Signal; Van Auken says OME does not use Signal and communicates via city email, phones, and Teams chats, while Brewer notes the memo went out to everyone.
Carr asks how many social media influencers have worked with the mayor's office or city agencies this calendar year; both Smith-Cruz and Van Auken say they do not have the answer and refer him to the communications department, with Brewer noting the communications office declined to participate.
Carr asks how much the city has spent on social media influencer campaigns and how budgets are determined; Van Auken says she does not have that information, and Carr notes the panel was sent missing crucial components of the administration.
Carr asks for examples of how influencer relationships with contracting agencies work and what public disclosure rules apply; Van Auken repeatedly refers him to the communications department, saying OME focuses on face-to-face communication.
Carr asks whether the mayor's office or agencies received guidance from the Conflicts of Interest Board or Law Department on disclosing influencer relationships and preserving records; Smith-Cruz says COIB has not submitted any guidance to DORIS, and Van Auken says she lacks details.
Carr says the questions that needed answering were not answered, criticizing that the panel was sent missing crucial components who could speak to who the influencers are, why they were contracted, and on what topics, and says oversight only works when both branches participate.
Williams says he agrees with Carr that the right people should be here, then asks whether messages through text, Signal, or WhatsApp do not have to be retained; Smith-Cruz confirms that under the policy instant messages are transitory with no expectation of retention, so deletion alone is not a violation.
Director of Records Management Rose Nagel-Indigoyen explains records are scheduled by function rather than format, that instant messaging is intended for brief communications with zero retention by default, and that users must move substantive messages to preservable formats.
Williams asks whether the city must respond to FOIL requests for text messages; Smith-Cruz says FOIL only applies to records that exist, and if a text was deleted and no longer exists, the city cannot produce it, prompting Williams to note this is news to many.
Brewer asks how anyone would know whether a Signal message to influencers is substantive; Smith-Cruz cites DORIS's online list of over 100 records management definitions and the policy's definition of substantive messages as those documenting decisions, actions, or policies, and says DORIS does not monitor agency communications.
Wilson asks whether DORIS assesses if substantive government messages were deleted before preservation for agencies using Signal; Smith-Cruz says DORIS does not monitor active communication channels and anticipates agencies received needed training to make those determinations themselves.
Wilson asks whether there is a preferred internal communication platform; Smith-Cruz says the 2025 policy does not distinguish internal from external instant messaging, DORIS provides guidance on platforms but Signal is not written into any policy, and social media policy was last updated in 2021.
Wilson asks how often the social media policy is reviewed; Smith-Cruz says it was last updated in 2021 with a Department of Investigation request at that time, and Wilson suggests regularly occurring reviews given how quickly technology moves, which Smith-Cruz welcomes.
Dinowitz reads the DORIS definition of substantive messages and asks whether daily updates, talking points, and clips shared via Signal would be substantive; Smith-Cruz says records management is based on function not format and that communications about records are transitory, frustrating Dinowitz.
Dinowitz asks whether all text messages are transitory and whether sending links to documents stored on OneDrive would avoid FOIL; Smith-Cruz says DORIS would never advise avoiding FOIL, that the record is the document not the link, and that agencies should consider how employees use instant messaging.
Dinowitz says the official DORIS guidance discourages substantive instant messages and it seems the team doing these messages did not do their job properly, then thanks the panel and turns it back to the chair.
Wong notes the room is packed with only three empty seats, cites the charter giving committees authority to require testimony, and asks where Amelia Rowland, the Director of New Media overseeing the influencer operation, is; Van Auken says she does not have the answer.
Wong asks if DORIS plans to archive Signal; Smith-Cruz says if it were true it would be through the third-party social media archiving platform, but currently there is no technological possibility to archive Signal, and instant messaging behavior is not retained regardless of platform.
Wong says a January 15 memo from Chief Counsel Ramsey Kassem bans Signal for all city employees and asks why the mayor's office is using it; Smith-Cruz says she is not aware of the memo but that agencies ought to comply with DORIS policy and their own leadership's guidance.
Wong asks who the committee should ask about the creation and management of the Signal group if Rowland and the chief counsel will not appear; Smith-Cruz says she is not sure but suggests the contact at Intergovernmental Affairs could help find someone who can answer.
Morano submits a three-page memorandum from the Mayor's Office of the Chief Counsel titled 'Communication Requirements and Best Practices,' dated January 15 with metadata suggesting 2026, which states employees should not use WhatsApp, Signal, or other communications apps for work, addressing document preservation, FOIL, and cybersecurity.
Morano asks Smith-Cruz to confirm the memo's issuance; she says she was not around and DORIS does not fall within the chief counsel's jurisdiction, and confirms DORIS has not reviewed the influencer Signal group to determine whether substantive records were deleted.
Morano asks who is responsible for determining whether records were lost and when that determination will be completed; Smith-Cruz says agencies are responsible for developing policies but retention of Signal instant messages is not within current records management policy.
Morano notes RecordPoint manages 215 million records across 31 agencies including the mayor's office but only maps government-supplied tools, and asks if it captures Signal; Smith-Cruz confirms it cannot retain Signal and DORIS is not looking for it to since instant messaging has zero retention.
Morano asks whether DORIS has any independent way to determine if an employee failed to transfer a substantive Signal message; Smith-Cruz says it is up to the individual user to transfer substantive messages and DORIS cannot do this, so compliance depends on individual employees recognizing what must be preserved.
Morano says he hopes the committee will consider using subpoena power to force answers from those absent; Brewer agrees the committee is not getting the answers the hearing was outlined for and says the mayor's communications office should be there.
Brewer asks whether Amelia Rowland or others got permission from DORIS to use Signal's auto-delete feature, noting city employees may not delete records without prior approval; Smith-Cruz says the approval requirement she references came from within a specific agency and is not part of DORIS policy, and agencies may impose stricter rules.
Ariola says there is a fine line between agencies providing legitimate public information and using taxpayer dollars to promote political propaganda, that government communications should be factual and transparent, and that from what she hears there is little accountability over what is disseminated through outreach organizing.
Wong asks how DORIS handles encrypted messages on Signal and other platforms and what happens with auto-deletion; Smith-Cruz says DORIS does not access encrypted messages, which is why the retention schedule is zero, and distinguishes instant messaging from social media publications that are archived permanently.
Wong asks whether DORIS introduces corrective or recovery steps when records are destroyed without authorization and how the public accesses archived content; Smith-Cruz says social media captured at creation is preserved even if deleted later, and the public can access Archive Social, encouraging council members to connect their accounts.
Wong asks whether OME maintains creator lists, communicates with influencers, or recommends creators to agencies; Van Auken says OME does not maintain creator lists, has coordinated with the communications team on occasion, and has not issued citywide standards for creator-based engagements.
Morano asks what additional safeguards DORIS would need to ensure substantive government communications are preserved; Smith-Cruz says council advocacy helps, encourages agencies to document exceptions, and notes RecordPoint only covers government-supported software while social media archiving is handled by a vendor.
Morano asks for a borough-by-borough breakdown of OME outreach spending, staffing, events, and service referrals, particularly for Staten Island; Van Auken notes a Staten Island community liaison and First Deputy Commissioner Singh describes flood and hurricane outreach and representation at the Postcards Memorial.
Brewer asks about OME's $2.8 million budget for 20 new staff lines, what positions they are, and which are filled; Van Auken says she did not come with those details and will follow up, confirming she believes there are 20 new staff lines.
Brewer asks at what point something relates to the decisions, actions, or policies of a city agency, giving the example of a text stating an agency is agreeing to a contract; Smith-Cruz says to imagine what takes place in relation to a transitory message and emphasizes equipping city employees with tools to make distinctions.
Brewer says lots of work remains, notes the mayor's office is harder to regulate because it is not an agency in the traditional way, excuses the panel, and announces the Campaign Finance Board will be the next panel.
Council staff administers the affirmation to Amanda Melillo of the Campaign Finance Board, who affirms to tell the truth and answer questions honestly.
Amanda Melillo, First Deputy Executive Director of the CFB, describes the agency's nonpartisan mission, matching funds program, and NYC Votes initiative, which partners with social media influencers to share voting PSAs, bringing influencer selection in-house in 2023.
Melillo says the CFB prioritizes younger voters, non-English speakers, voters with disabilities, and those impacted by the criminal legal system in the South Bronx, South Brooklyn, and Queens, requires influencers to be NYC residents with majority local audiences, and includes nonpartisanship clauses barring candidate endorsements.
Melillo says the CFB worked with 29 influencers generating over 70 posts on Instagram and TikTok at a total cost of $626,365, producing over 6 million views and 500,000 engagements with a 5% engagement rate, and that non-English content outperformed English posts.
Melillo notes the CFB had one week to review the four bills and says T2026-2553 by Council Member Wong duplicates existing CFB disclaimer rules, T2026-2555 by Carr broadens existing blackout law with no formal position, and T2026-1440 by Carr would disperse reporting obligations to individual public servants rather than agencies.
Melillo says T2026-2554 by Council Member Feliz raises fundamental concerns because designating the CFB as an enforcing agency over other city agencies is misaligned with its charter role, and the proposed shared enforcement with the Conflicts of Interest Board would create complexity and inconsistent standards.
Melillo says the CFB's influencer program effectively reaches voters traditional outreach misses, backed by nonpartisanship safeguards, and that the agency is prepared to share operational and regulatory expertise as the Council considers the bills.
Brewer asks how the CFB decides which influencers to work with and how campaigns differ from traditional media; Melillo explains younger audiences distrust traditional advertising and prefer authentic content, and describes bringing selection in-house with a social media manager identifying NYC-based non-political creators like Public Opinion and Righteous Eats.
Brewer asks how the CFB determines disclosure language and hashtags; Melillo says the CFB currently follows each platform's political advertising rules but is reviewing whether its disclosure standards should match paid-for-by notice standards for greater consistency.
Wong says traditional reporters ask tough questions while influencers repeat talking points, which is propaganda, and his bill aims to ensure the public knows content is paid for with tax dollars; Melillo distinguishes the elections part of the charter from the public officials' use of resources section and says CFB rules already cover campaign disclaimers.
Wong says the line between propaganda and news is blurring with AI graphics and asks whether missing disclaimers are an enforcement problem or a gap; Melillo explains the CFB regulates the mayor's campaign but not his activities as mayor or City Hall staff carrying out public duties, so the bill would not regulate current City Hall content.
Brewer thanks Melillo, dismisses the CFB panel, and opens public testimony, reminding the public that decorum must be preserved, no video recording is allowed, speakers get three minutes, and written testimony can be submitted to the sergeant at arms or by email within 72 hours.
Dr. Anya Schiffrin, Senior Lecturer at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, introduces her forthcoming paper 'Mapping New York City Influencers and the Funding of Public Messaging,' noting the working paper is online and the final version will be published by the Tao Center for Digital Journalism with an October 19 launch event.
Schiffrin explains governments must communicate policies to citizens amid AI slop and fragmented news habits, citing France, Canada, and the U.S. paying influencers for health, voting, and climate messaging, Health and Hospitals' pandemic work, MTA celebrity announcements, and new pilot programs under the Mamdani administration.
Schiffrin says the city works with advertising and marketing agencies under citywide media placement contracts that identify and hire influencers, issue contracts and payments, and monitor impact, but there is secrecy around hiring and payment, no systemic record keeping of content creators, and unclear regulations.
Schiffrin says labeling of paid influencer content is inconsistent, citing Spain's rule requiring 'paid for' visible throughout videos rather than 'partner' or 'collab,' and notes the EU found influencers largely unaware of disclosure laws, suggesting work can be done to strengthen disclosure and transparency.
Schiffrin says her team pulled together a list of more than 200 influencers but is not yet confident enough to release it, hopes the hearings will prompt more information from the city, and offers to help draft disclosure and transparency legislation and connect officials with international counterparts.
Schiffrin says the Signal group has characteristics of a press list but differs, is unpaid per Amelia Rowland's office, and raises questions about the intake process for influencers versus press passes, and why a separate Signal group exists rather than one press list for everyone.
Schiffrin says she sent dozens of emails to City Hall and agencies since July without answers, unlike her experience with EU officials, and that after her paper came out Rowland texted her saying the Signal group information is the same as the regular press list, usually just links to press releases and livestreams.
Schiffrin notes City Hall's Signal group is part of a broader trend including the Pentagon hiring conservative military influencers, corporate and foreign interests working with influencers, and Qatar and Israel spending on pro-Trump influencers, arguing regulation is important.
Schiffrin recommends clear disclosure of influencer relationships applying to paid and unpaid content, standardized visible hashtags like Spain's 'paid partnership,' regular publication of influencer lists, in-house training for employees and vendors, and an influencer hub modeled on the EU and FTC.
Brewer asks whether England, the EU, or Canada use Signal or communicate differently; Schiffrin says the Signal group was an accidental finding and her research focused on influencers promoting government programs, noting Canada debates whether influencers must be paid to require disclosure and what the threshold should be.
Brewer asks what Schiffrin means by disclosures of persistent relationships; Schiffrin explains journalists covering City Hall apply for press passes, and asks whether groups regularly receiving and reporting information are like journalists and whether some registration or training requirement should apply, noting the U.S. tradition against licensing.
Wong says traditional media and influencers appear to get different press statements and that influencers sometimes get information first, asking whether they should have equal access; Schiffrin says this is 'anecdata' and that Rowland told her influencers get the same press releases as journalists, calling for further study.
Wong says he saw videos of the mayor promoting ballot proposals, which should be labeled as political messages paid for by taxpayers, and that with so many influencers someone is getting paid; Schiffrin says Rowland's position is that Signal group members are not paid for being in the group, but whether some have city contracts needs clarification.
Brewer says New York City rules on election-adjacent communications are well articulated but not always enforced, and Wong says the public may not distinguish flu shot reminders from political propaganda about ballot proposals, arguing the distinction must be defined and labeled as paid for by taxpayers.
Brewer thanks Schiffrin and calls the next panel: Rachel Fauss, Susan Lerner, and Grace Rauh, with Ben also invited to come up.
Rachael Fauss of Reinvent Albany asks the Council to pass legislation clarifying that all electronic communications creating a public record, including instant messages, be archived and retrievable by FOIL officers, and to advance an influencer disclosure bill modeled on FTC rules through the contracting process.
Fauss asks the Council to revise T2026-2555 and T2026-1440 to incorporate expert perspectives and not to move forward with T2026-2554 and T2026-2553 due to CFB concerns, and argues the DORIS policy's transitory framing is backwards since instant messages are often records.
Grace Rauh, Executive Director of Citizens Union, says auto-delete functions should be explicitly prohibited from official city business, citing her experience suing the de Blasio administration for emails involving outside political advisors, and notes WhatsApp and Slack also add auto-delete functions.
Rauh says paid government advertising including influencer content must be publicly disclosed, that FTC rules requiring clear and conspicuous disclosure of paid relationships should be incorporated into city advertising contracts with a uniform citywide standard, and that unpaid influencer engagement is fine but should not come at the expense of reporter access.
Susan Lerner, Executive Director of Common Cause New York, focuses on the hearing's civic engagement title, citing academic definitions and noting that OME's website emphasizes tenant organizing rather than broader information about accessing city government, questioning whether the city should pick particular types of organizing.
Lerner suggests disclosure stating communication was initiated by or in partnership with the City of New York so residents know whether content is independent or results from talking points, which she agrees are substantive communications, and says Common Cause's written testimony offers amendments to strengthen the bills.
Wong says his bill aims to close the gap so the public knows content like ballot proposal videos or OME door-knocking is not news, and asks Reinvent Albany about its recommendation not to move the bill; Fauss says the charter section being amended covers independent expenditure disclosures, which are a national model, and suggests the bill may need changes to regulate different activity.
Brewer calls the next panel: Charles Diamond, Octavio Blanco, and Tony Rossum, inviting whoever would like to go first.
Octavio Blanco, executive editor of Uptown Voices in Washington Heights, denies media accusations that his outlet was paid to cover Mamdani's or Chevalier's campaigns, says he is not on any Signal chat with the administration, and describes inviting all three District 13 congressional candidates onto his podcast without payment.
Charles Diamond, who worked for the city over eight years with procurement expertise, says the city should be suspicious when an agency gets for free what it normally pays for, that zero-dollar contracts are red flags, and that procurement avenues with selection processes and record keeping were not taken.
Diamond calls the administration's testimony torturous and its circular logic on transitory versus substantive bewildering, says government business cannot be done on non-approved channels like Signal, questions who approved the app download, and supports Council Member Morano's suggestion of subpoenas.
Tony Rasan, who runs TBO Harlem Uptown and the Harlem Night Market, says he was part of the Signal group but paid little attention since it mostly contained press links and event notices, that he has never been paid, and that content creators previously lacked access to the mayor's office.
Brewer asks whether the material sent to Rasan is similar to what newspapers receive; Rasan says yes, that notices sometimes come the night before events, that he does not get super early access, and that he received public grocery store announcement information like any press outlet, and confirms he does not have a press pass.
Brewer asks Diamond about the role of media buying middlemen like Miller; Diamond says he relied on subject matter experts like Jose Bayona and Roman Goffman at DCAS, that COVID changed information distribution, and that procurement needed reform to measure outcomes with protections against political interference.
Brewer thanks the previous panel and calls the next panel: Tyjuan Green and Norberto Briceño, inviting whoever wants to start.
Tyjuan Green, known as Mr. Fingers, a music producer and community organizer, states he has never been offered or accepted pay for content with the mayor's administration, has lost money covering events, was never directed on messaging, and told the mayor he would hold him accountable.
Norberto Briceño, a NYC content creator focused on art, history, and infrastructure, says he has made videos about the Mamdani administration's work on faster buses but was never paid, arguing content creators help the city reach people who do not get news from traditional outlets, while paid relationships should be transparent.
Brewer asks Briceño whether he received guidance on avoiding political content after transitioning from campaign to government communications; Briceño says he has media training and focuses on straight facts without swaying the audience, and believes other content creators do the same.
Brewer calls Chris Johnson in person and Tim Fulton online as the next witnesses.
Christopher Leon Johnson, a press credential holder, accuses Mr. Fingers and Uptown Voices of being paid through third-party agencies, says mayor's offices control the narrative and make creators delete videos, and argues the administration relies on influencers instead of real journalism.
Tim Fullerton, founder of Find Out Media and former chief digital officer of New York State and Obama administration digital strategist, says Signal group members were not paid by the Mamdani administration or a third party, criticizes the New York Post's coverage of Rowland, and calls the Signal group a distribution list giving the same information as the press.
Brewer thanks Fullerton, says his expertise will help craft legislation, agrees information should be carried to the public but must incorporate FOIL and archiving practices developed over decades, and Fullerton agrees.
Brewer asks if anything else needs to be added, thanks everyone who stayed for the long hearing, notes there are many questions and a lot of work to do, and declares the hearing ended.