A private messaging network links New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration with approximately 200 social media personalities, according to findings published by the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR). This arrangement, which operates through the encrypted application Signal, provides participating content creators with direct access to City Hall's messaging strategy. The network, known as Creators4Zohran, facilitates communication and collaboration between the mayor's office and a diverse group of online influencers.
"Sometimes I’m pro what the mayor’s up to, other times I’m outwardly critical of it. To their credit they are holding on to people who are not always in alignment." Nile Berry, @urbanexplained Creator
Researchers behind the CJR study identified several specific individuals as members of the Signal chat. These participants span various online content niches, including education, real estate, and Bronx lifestyle culture, indicating a broad reach across different demographics and interests within the city and beyond.
Among the confirmed participants is Sari Beth Rosenberg, a teacher who also works as a digital content strategist for the American Federation of Teachers. Online, Rosenberg commands an audience exceeding 420,000 followers across multiple platforms, where she often frames her content as historical context for current events. Rosenberg explained her motivation to CJR, stating her purpose is to help compensate for the decline of traditional local journalism. She noted, “A lot of people are too busy to seek out news about New York City but they might follow my content or someone else’s, and might engage with it more, so that it’s going to pop up on their feed more.” This direct access translated into action when Rosenberg published a video billed as an “EXCLUSIVE” sit-down with Mayor Mamdani and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels. The conversation focused on the administration’s recently announced one-year ban on generative artificial intelligence tools in city public schools.
Another creator, Nile Berry, has built a substantial Instagram following of 109,000 under the handle @urbanexplained. Berry's content provides detailed breakdowns of housing trends, economic shifts, and the city’s development future. CJR’s analysis found his viewership predominantly consists of men aged 25 to 40 employed in finance and real estate sectors. Berry utilized his online presence to secure a face-to-face meeting with Mayor Mamdani, where they discussed the “Block by Block” housing initiative, a plan aiming to construct 200,000 new housing units across New York City’s five boroughs. However, Berry has pushed back against the notion that he functions as an uncritical mouthpiece for the administration. He cited his public opposition to the mayor’s city-run grocery store concept and his skepticism regarding a newly implemented pied-à-terre tax on high-value second homes. Berry stated, “Sometimes I’m pro what the mayor’s up to, other times I’m outwardly critical of it. To their credit they are holding on to people who are not always in alignment.”
Diego León, a Bronx-based creator and former preschool teacher, joined the network through his lifestyle account @dandyinthebronx. With nearly 46,000 followers, León's content blends menswear, features on neighborhood businesses, food, travel, and even Pokémon. The CJR report separately noted that León accepted a paid promotional deal with the city’s Department of Sanitation. León’s influence also extended into civic participation in April, when he posted a Facebook video encouraging followers to vote in Mamdani’s “Municipal Madness” bracket competition. This contest aimed to determine which neighborhood problem would receive priority cleanup. León told viewers, “I’m voting to Clean up Illegal Dumping right here in Soundview,” noting the winning neighborhood would see its issue resolved by the mayor personally within the administration’s first 100 days. Soundview ultimately claimed victory, and Mayor Mamdani made an appearance, though he reportedly departed approximately 15 minutes after posing for photos.
Education advocate José Vilson, an adjunct professor at Columbia Teachers College, also participates in the network. Under the handle @thejosevilson, he comments on racial justice and city politics to his more than 12,000 Instagram followers. Vilson rejected any suggestion of financial motive, telling CJR that chat members prioritize asking “good questions” out of genuine civic concern, and that he personally has received no payment for his coverage. His February video promoting the mayor’s expanded universal childcare program included a lighter moment where Vilson asked Mamdani to list his five favorite rappers.
The influencer network extends beyond New York City’s five boroughs. The Creators4Zohran coalition includes members who reside far from New York City yet post enthusiastically about the mayor. Josh Greene, a 26-year-old based in Southern California, reaches 460,000 followers through his @joshtheprogressive account. Greene’s involvement in paid political content is well-documented; The New York Times previously reported that at least seven campaigns or political organizations compensated him during the most recent election cycle, including roughly $21,500 from Tom Steyer’s gubernatorial run in California. Greene’s enthusiasm for Mamdani has occasionally veered into unrelated territory, such as a post crediting the mayor’s influence for the New York Knicks capturing an NBA title, where he wrote, “Maybe the mayor’s success in New York had something to do with that.” Allie O’Brien, 25, from Connecticut, represents another out-of-state voice within Creators4Zohran, having described the mayor in one post as the “mayor of uncontrollable joy.”
For some members, devotion to the collective runs deeper. Alexis Williams, 25, referred to the Creators4Zohran collective as her “little family” in a post published after the mayoral election. In a January 8 announcement, she declared herself “ready to serve new york city as a deputy press sec for culture partnerships and Black media.” TikTok creator Layla Taremi, 31, secured a coveted opportunity at a January 7 City Hall press conference reserved for influencers, where she was selected to ask the first question. Before posing her question, she directly told the mayor, “I’ve had so much fun making content for you.” The network’s existence highlights the evolving landscape of political communication and the increasing role of social media personalities in disseminating information and shaping public discourse.
