Viral Zoom catapults Waipā District Council to global media fame
Media coverage of Waipā District Council’s unexpectedly viral Zoom meeting has reached millions and has seen the Zoom meeting livestream in question skyrocket to nearly 400,000 views over the weekend.
The meeting, which went viral as internet users used it to pretend to work, has now received extensive media coverage from around the world.
From New Zealand’s national media to the BBC abroad, a whirlwind weekend of positive publicity ensued.
Waipā District Councillor Marcus Gower, who fronted a live television interview on morning show Breakfast, said the meeting was a prime example of Council connecting with audiences – even if it wasn’t in the way they initially thought.
“We managed to bring local government to the world.”
Waipā District Council Deputy Chief Executive Ken Morris said while it seemed unlikely future Council meetings would garner the same attention, he was pleased it had shone a light on the way the Council operates and was a good opportunity to show transparency in decision-making.
“Its a great way to connect with our residents and ensure people can see what happens at Council.”
“We encourage people interested in the workings of Council to tune into our livestreams to get the full picture on the issues that matter.”
Many commenters had positive things to say on the video as it garnered attention in Netherlands, India, the United States and other countries.
“Anyone else using this just so they can sound like they're in a meeting so their other family members don't disturb them while working from home,” said one commenter.
“Can’t get over how professional and friendly everyone is in this meeting. A great example for others on how to conduct yourselves,” another commented.
Waipā District Council streams all its public meetings to their YouTube channel, where viewers can access them freely.
The viral video has now featured globally with coverage from Radio New Zealand, NZ Herald, Taiwan Times, Republic World, Stuff, BBC, The Edge, 20 Minutes Germany, Flipboard, Yahoo News New Zealand, Newshub, MSN New Zealand, and Weekend Herald to name a few, and also garnered a huge response across social media networks.
