Caroline Journal Reports on AIM’s DEI Sting on Raleigh City Government
October 31, 2025
It’s easier than ever to feel “informed,” even if you don’t know what’s happening at city hall. National news updates arrive to your phone by the minute, and social media makes global headlines inescapable. Yet as technology has expanded access, it’s also eroded local awareness. Many Americans can quote a presidential poll but couldn’t name their own mayor or school board chair.
The consolidation of the news industry has deepened that gap. Once, nearly every North Carolina county had its own daily paper or dedicated local newsroom. Today, many have merged or disappeared, replaced by regional outlets and national feeds that rarely cover zoning boards, budgets, or council meetings. We rely on neighbors and social media to stay in the loop locally, but it seems that algorithms amplify outrage, not proximity. We get hit all at once with information from near and far, while still seemingly unaware of local government.
As evidence that niche and local journalism still matters in municipal operations, consider a report released this week by Accuracy in Media. The report alleges efforts by a Raleigh city government office to advance a DEI (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion) agenda despite a federal executive order to curb DEI mandates in federal government and among those groups receiving federal grants. While the source of funding for this particular Raleigh city office is not immediately clear, the report indicates that city employees tried to keep the programs relatively secret from the tax-paying public. The report highlights how important it is to know what your city or town is doing behind closed doors.
Read more here.