NEW YORK CITY—New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani launched "El Chisme Oficial de NYC," a new official WhatsApp channel, and the relaunch of City Hall's Spanish-language Instagram account, part of an effort to communicate directly with the city's millions of Spanish-speaking residents.
The initiative will provide subscribers with New York City news, public service announcements, community resources, immigration information, public transportation alerts and updates on municipal programs and events, all in Spanish and delivered directly to their mobile phones.
Subscribers will also receive exclusive photos and videos from community events across the city's five boroughs, behind-the-scenes content from City Hall and occasional voice messages from Mayor Mamdani and other city officials.
"Every New Yorker deserves to know what their city is doing for them in the language they speak at home," Mamdani said in a statement announcing the new initiative.
"Spanish-speaking New Yorkers are on WhatsApp and Instagram every day, so that is where City Hall should be, too. You should not have to chase down a dozen agencies to find the information you need. We're bringing it together in one place, in Spanish, and delivering it directly to your phone. That's what a city government that works for working people looks like," he added.
Spanish remains one of New York City's most spoken languages
The launch reflects the growing importance of Spanish-language communication in a city where more than 2.5 million residents speak Spanish at home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Spanish is by far the most widely spoken language other than English in New York City.
Hispanics make up nearly 29% of the city's population, with large Puerto Rican, Dominican, Mexican, Ecuadorian, Colombian, Venezuelan and other Latin American communities spread across the five boroughs. More than one in four New Yorkers has limited English proficiency, making multilingual government communication an important component of public outreach.
City officials also noted that WhatsApp is among the most widely used messaging platforms within Latino communities, making it a natural channel for distributing official information quickly and directly.
One place for city information
The administration said the relaunch of City Hall's Spanish-language Instagram account is designed to simplify access to government information by bringing updates from multiple agencies into one centralized platform.
Instead of following numerous city department accounts, Spanish-speaking residents will be able to find updates on city services, policy announcements, public safety information, plain-language explainers and livestreams in a single feed entirely in Spanish.
The initiative is part of Mamdani's broader effort to make City Hall more accessible and improve communication with communities that have historically relied on ethnic media and social platforms for local news and government information.
New Yorkers can subscribe to "El Chisme Oficial de NYC" through the city's official WhatsApp channel and follow City Hall's Spanish-language Instagram account to receive updates on city programs, services and events.
