“Most government agencies were like, ‘OK, we’re doing social media, get a picture of the commissioner hard at work at their desk and post that,’ ” said Rob Casimir, the senior education and engagement specialist at the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board.
He said it was either 2015 or 2016 when the tone of @NYCCOIB began to shift from staid legalese to dry and self-mocking humor. So now, in addition to retweeting news stories about ethics reform, the account also asks followers to weigh in on the ethics of going to SantaCon and posts memes. Story continuesIn that sense, @NYCCOIB is part of a growing movement of public agencies that are getting more experimental on social media in order to expand their limited bureaucratic footprint.
“I think other government organizations look at that as the bench mark, and must be asking themselves, ‘If the most secretive, serious government organization can have some fun on Twitter, why can’t we?’ ” Gahan said. @NJGov, the official feed of the state of New Jersey, has taken that motto and run with it. Founded in 2018, the account has gained more than 178,000 followers with a distinct blend of Gen Z patois and Garden State attitude.