Get Social: Summit Brings Government Agencies Together IRL

Public Information's Social Media team standing in front of a blue backdrop with the Mecklenburg County seal at the 2024 Social Media Summit. Left to right: Adison Le, Jameil Weldon and Hayley Belton
Public Information's Social Media Team. Left to right: Adison Le, Jameil Weldon and Hayley Belton.

Social media is an everchanging landscape. And it’s a landscape best navigated with others.

Mecklenburg County’s social media team held a Social Media Summit on Friday, Dec. 6, gathering content creators who work in government agencies in North and South Carolina to network, share ideas, and talk about what’s trending.  

This was the third year Mecklenburg County’s social team has held its Social Media Summit and its largest convening yet. Representatives from over a dozen associations gathered to talk about how social media can best be used to serve residents, including ways to reach Gen Z audiences, making platforms reflective of the local community, accessibility, and managing misinformation. Keynote speaker Kristi Nickodem, assistant professor of Public Law and Government at the UNC School of Government, also presented on what is allowed—and not allowed—under the First Amendment on social media.

Mecklenburg County’s three-person social media team helps connect residents with the work of County departments. They produce award-winning content for Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Nextdoor, Threads, YouTube, and X. In 2023, they generated over 1,500 pieces of content across all platforms.