Podcast: The Role of Social Media in Response to Officer-Involved Shootings

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SHOW NOTES

Two deadly police-involved shootings in one week left two black, middle-aged men dead in two cities 1,000 miles apart — Charlotte, N.C., and Tulsa, Okla.

While the handling of videos from the incidents have been markedly different between the two cities, both Charlotte and Tulsa Twitter feeds have been conspicuously quiet.

On this episode of GovTech Social, Brian Purchia, co-founder of CivicMakers and long-time media and public policy strategist, reflects on how city governments can and should use social media in case of police-involved shootings that spark public protests.

Also in an interview with with regulars Dustin Haisler, Anil Chawla and Paul Taylor, Purchia talks about a newly released data tool designed to bring consistent transparency in police use-of-force that has debuted in California (see a related article in The Wall Street Journal). At the time of this episode's recording, Eyragon Eidam is on assignment.

Credited for a groundbreaking new media strategy at the time, Purchia was present when the city of San Francisco began its pioneering work with social media. 

With a public service career that began with the election of Gavin Newsom as mayor, Purchia also takes stock of the legacy of his work in developing the nation’s first open data law, open source software policy and API for government. 

Elsewhere in the episode:

• Hatching Twittter: The New York Times review of the book recommended by Anil on this episode.

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PLAYLIST

Music heard on this episode:

• Jackson 5, Rockin' Robin (1972)
• John Lennon, Power to the People (1970)
• Parachute Club, Rise Up (1983)
• Sister Sledge, We are Family (1979)
• The Peppers, Pepper Box (1973)

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