Norberto Briceño says he makes unpaid videos about city government
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.
Yes, good afternoon and thank you for the opportunity to speak.
My name is Norberto Briseño.
I'm a New York City content creator and my work focuses on art, history, infrastructure, and the kind of interesting things about the city.
I want to start by being completely transparent.
I have made videos about the Momdani administration, usually talking about their work in making buses faster.
I have never been paid by the administration to make those videos.
I've done them because I think it's useful for my audience and residents in general to know what their local government is doing.
And I think there's an important conversation to have about that.
There are more than 8 million people in this city, and they don't all get their information from the same place.
Some people read newspapers or watch local news.
Others get their information from cable networks, and others get their information from social media.
No single outlet can reach everybody.
That's why I think content creators can play an important role in helping the city communicate with the public.
My work is already about New York City.
So when I talk about what our elected officials are doing, it's because it connects to the things that I cover and the questions my audience cares about.
Journalists, media outlets, and creators can all play different roles in making sure that New Yorkers have access to accurate, factual information.
And communication with the government doesn't have to mean agreement.
Ultimately, people should have the opportunity to hear what their government is doing and make up their own minds.
Of course, when the city pays a creator to produce something, that relationship should be transparent.
But simply communicating with creators shouldn't be treated as inherently political or improper.
We live in a social media age, and if the local government wants New Yorkers to understand what's happening in their city, they have to meet them where they are.
An informed New Yorker is better equipped to participate and hold the government accountable.
So I think that's good for New York City.
So thank you.