Whether it’s because homebound people are desperate for guidance in an open-ended emergency or they’ve simply exhausted their Netflix queues, some government officials have found themselves surprised by the sudden popularity of virtual meetings and news conferences.
San Francisco’s virtual public meetings, which include everything from Mayor London Breed’s press conferences to full gatherings of its Board of Supervisors, are regularly attracting hundreds of participants, according to data shared by the city. Breed’s small-business webinars are also averaging around 3,000 viewers, officials said.