Danish Municipality to broadcast city council meetings on Facebook Live

It wants to make it easier for citizens to follow political discussions and decisions

As of 19 May, the Danish Municipality of Guldborgsund will begin broadcasting its city council meetings on Facebook Live. This was announced earlier today, with the Mayor of Guldborgsund Simon Hansen revealing that the municipality seeks to make it easier for citizens and other interested parties to follow its political discussions and decisions.

Making use of social media

Currently, residents can attend the city council meetings at the city council hall itself or online via the municipality’s website or the Kommune-TV application. Now, Guldborgsund wants to give its citizens another option that is easy and modern: 

“We think it is important that citizens have an easy time following our political work. Social media today is so integrated into many people’s daily activities, and therefore, we think it makes good sense that you can also follow the city council meetings on Facebook. We hope it can get more people to see what we do because that is the whole purpose of it,” explained Mayor Hansen.

Becoming more transparent and accessible

In a press release, the municipality stressed that although the city council meetings will soon be broadcasted live on Facebook, the political debate will not be moved to social media. In other words, citizens will still be able to attend in person at the city council hall or via the municipal website. 

Expanding on this, Mayor Hansen shared that the city council members will not follow the discussion on Facebook to comment or answer questions during the broadcasting. Instead, the municipality merely aims to use Facebook as a channel that will make following the city council meetings more accessible to everyone. 

Acknowledging that viewers often use social media platforms to write negative comments, Guldborgsund’s communication department will be tasked with moderating the livestream’s comment track during the broadcasting.