NJGov
Twitter account | |
| Available in | English |
|---|---|
| Owner | Government of New Jersey |
| Created by |
|
| Editor | Megan Coyne (2019–2022) |
| URL | twitter |
| Launched | April 2018[AS 1] |
| Current status | Online |
NJGov is the official Twitter account of the state of New Jersey. It was launched in 2018 by Pearl Gabel and Edwin Torres, bringing Megan Coyne onboard in June 2019. The account began garnering attention in the press – as well as a significant follower base – in December 2019, amid Gabel and Coyne's use of NJGov in a public relations campaign to change perception of New Jersey. Shifting to a tone described in the press as "sassy" and "sharp", the account has sought to embrace and reclaim the negative perception of New Jersey by some as smelly or dirty. In addition to lighthearted Twitter antics, Gabel and Coyne sought to give substantial information about the state's current events and policies to their new follower base.
The two staffers oversaw the state's follower count rise from 17,000 in early December 2019 to 439,000 at the time of Coyne's departure in August 2022, outpacing every other official state account by February 2020. Reception of NJGov from media outlets has been generally positive.
History
New Jersey @NJGov savages
February 13, 2020[1]
Zeyyyyy @NFTNYC @zeynepkurt05 what do you call people who live in jersey? Jersain? Jersish? Jerseese? I need to know @NJGov
February 13, 2020[2]
The official Twitter account of the state of New Jersey, operating under the handle NJGov, has been active since 2018 – it was started by Pearl Gabel, New Jersey's digital director, and deputy Edwin Torres. Shea Swenson, with New Jersey Monthly, writes that the account took an "edgier" turn when Megan Coyne joined the staff in June 2019.[3] The Twitter account struggled to gain a significant following until it saw a sharp increase in popularity in December 2019;[4][3] the spike is largely attributed to Gabel and Coyne.[4][5][6]
While the pair operated all of the state's social media accounts, only the Twitter account attracted significant outside attention.[7] Coyne and Gabel saw the Twitter account as a way to change public perception of New Jersey; the state has been mocked as "the armpit of America", with an accompanying reputation as dirty or smelly.[5][4] Coyne commented that "New Jersey's been kind of the butt of national jokes for so long... it has not the best reputation among people, and we really wanted to change that."[4] The two looked to use the account to reclaim some of these stereotypes, making them a part of the account's identity in a positive manner.[5]
As a Twitter user since the age of 13, the 22-year-old Coyne was able to keep the other staffers updated on cultural trends; Gabel, as an older millennial, was more adept at creating snappy one-liners, quips, and "clapbacks".[4][5][6]
Brenna Ehrlich, writing for
At the same time, the account seeks to give substantial information to younger users after drawing them in with humor. In Ehrlich's piece in Rolling Stone, she summarizes the position of Phil Murphy, the governor of New Jersey: "Once they’re hooked on the jokes and memes, the government can hammer home more important issues, like voting and healthcare".[5] Murphy told The New York Times that the account has spread "information about state policies and [informed] the public of crucial news".[4]
On February 28, 2022,
In August 2022, the New Jersey Globe reported that Coyne was leaving her position as social media director to join the White House Office of Digital Strategy. The Globe credited her as one of the "architects" of the account, praising her for bringing "life and a quintessential New Jersey manner to a once dull state-run Twitter account", and put NJGov's follower count at 439,000.[6]
Reception
Reception of the account has been generally positive. Journalists have praised the account's wit and sass, terming it a "Twitter account with an attitude" and "snark",[6] and have described as "sharp, often comedic",[8] "razor-tongued",[10] and "like no other"; Michael Gold with The New York Times joked that the account possesses a "playfully combative New Jersey swagger".[4] The account has also earned praise from Republicans, with one former city councilwoman commenting that she enjoyed New Jersey's online rivalry with Delaware.[7] Gold also complimented Coyne and Gabel's understanding of their environments, writing that the two created "quips that feel authentic both to the internet and to the Garden State itself".[4]
Writing for Axios in December 2019, Sara Fischer compared NJGov to the Instagram account of the Transportation Security Administration, which posted images of the exotic items patrons would attempt to bring on airplanes.[9] Fischer and Ehrlich praised the account's encouragement of civic engagement with its mix of wit and substantive information,[5] with Fischer writing that "the account tweets important government information alongside a witty mix of New Jersey inside jokes about good pizza and central New Jersey."[9]
In addition, the New Jersey Globe credits Coyne for managing Murphy's social media accounts when he became the first Democrat in 44 years to win re-election to the governorship of New Jersey. In the piece, David Wildstein quipped that Coyne deserves a "championship ring" for her work.[6]
References
- ^ New Jersey [@NJGov] (February 13, 2020). "savages" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Zeyyyyy @NFTNYC [@zeynepkurt05] (February 13, 2020). "what do you call people who live in jersey? Jersain? Jersish? Jerseese? I need to know @NJGov" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ a b Swenson, Shea (February 20, 2020). "How Phil Murphy's Twitter team became a viral sensation". New Jersey Monthly. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Gold, Michael (February 19, 2020). "'Hi haters': Why New Jersey's Twitter account is like no other". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 29, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Ehrlich, Brenna (December 30, 2019). "In New Jersey, a mega-mall and a Twitter account reclaim a misunderstood state". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- ^ New Jersey Globe. Archivedfrom the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
- ^ northjersey.com. Archivedfrom the original on March 30, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Seipel, Brooke (December 6, 2019). "New Jersey state Twitter account goes viral, gains more than 20K followers in a week". The Hill. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Fischer, Sara (December 10, 2019). "New Jersey's Twitter account is a viral hit". Axios. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
- ^ nj.com. Archivedfrom the original on August 29, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- ^ Sacharow, Fredda (February 11, 2020). "Rutgers grad helps put the Jersey in NJGov Twitter account". Rutgers Today. Archived from the original on August 28, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- ^ Kurtz, Judy (April 1, 2021). "Delaware ribs New Jersey for April Fools' Day: We 'will be merging to become one state'". The Hill. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- nj.com. Archivedfrom the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- nj.com. Archivedfrom the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.