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The Columbia Journalism Review’s new, data-driven report blew the lid off something New Yorkers should have known about months ago: Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s team has quietly built a city-backed influencer ecosystem. The study maps an encrypted Signal group called “NYC Creators Announcements,” traces a roster of roughly 189–200 creators tied to City Hall, and documents influencer campaigns run through city contracts. That’s not grassroots — it’s government-organized messaging, and it raises big questions about transparency, taxpayer money, and political spin dressed up as civic outreach.
What the CJR report actually found
The report shows the Signal chat grew out of campaign lists and is now run inside the Mayor’s Office by Emilia Rowland, who is listed as the director of new media and cultural communications. CJR found that agencies contract marketing firms, which then hire creators — typical campaign payments reported in the study ranged from about $5,000 to $20,000 per creator. The researchers compiled a list of some 189 creators and described daily talking points, event invites, and clips distributed through the chat. In short: campaign-style influence tools were folded into city communications.
Why New Yorkers should care
Taxpayers pay for city contracts and agency marketing budgets. When those dollars funnel to influencers pushing City Hall talking points, we deserve to know if the line between public service information and political promotion has been erased. The mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement, led by Tascha Van Auken, sits at the center of this work. The CJR report flags inconsistent disclosure practices and notes creators in the Signal group aren’t automatically paid — but paid campaigns do exist. That leaves room for a very uncomfortable question: are New Yorkers footing the bill for political advertising under the guise of outreach?
Transparency, records, and the law
Perhaps the most troubling detail is the use of an encrypted app to shuttle official talking points. City record-retention rules and open‑records laws exist for a reason: to prevent officials from hiding official business behind ephemeral messages. The CJR researchers warned that communications on Signal could evade public‑records requests if not properly preserved. This isn’t theory — it’s a red flag that calls for FOIL requests, procurement audits, and a clear accounting of which influencers were paid, how much, and by which agencies.
What must happen next
City Council and watchdogs should not treat this as partisan chest-thumping. They should demand contracts, invoices, and archived communications. If there’s nothing to hide, the mayor’s team will have no trouble producing records. If there is, then voters deserve answers — not curated clips pushed by favored creators. Mamdani’s office can keep petting its influencer army, or it can respect the rule of law and the people who pay the bills. New Yorkers should insist on transparency before the State’s taxpayer-funded PR machine becomes a permanent political megaphone.
