Local Newspaper in Cairo, GA Accused of Smear Campaign Against Black City Council Member Ahead of November Election
Cairo, GA — In a town where everybody knows everybody, politics often get personal—and now, they’re getting ugly.
Residents of Cairo, Georgia are raising serious concerns about the local newspaper, The Cairo Messenger, after it began republishing old stories aimed at damaging the reputation of a well-respected Black city council member just months before the November election. Community members and critics alike are calling it what it is: a deliberate smear campaign.
The council member, whose name is being withheld for the purpose of highlighting the systemic issue at hand, has served the city with integrity for years. But now, old and resolved controversies are being recycled by the local paper—without new context, without new facts, and with clear political timing.
“It’s not just about one article,” said a lifelong resident of Cairo. “It’s about a pattern. They don’t do this to white council members or city officials when they mess up. They only go after the Black ones—especially during election time.”
Cairo’s City Council currently has a Black majority, a reflection of the city’s 44% Black population. But to some, that progress is seen as a threat to the traditional power structure that has long dominated this small southern town. Locals say the renewed attacks by The Cairo Messenger are not journalism—they’re political warfare.
“It feels like they want to rewrite the power dynamics of the city by influencing public opinion with old dirt,” said another community leader. “Where’s the accountability for everyone else? Why don’t we see stories when white officials mess up?”
That’s the question reverberating throughout the community: Why does the local press stay silent on the missteps of white officials in high-ranking positions while amplifying—and even reviving—the past of Black leaders?
Critics say The Cairo Messenger is weaponizing its platform in a biased and racially motivated way, eroding public trust in the media at a critical time. As Cairo grows and diversifies, its media must evolve with it. A newspaper should inform the public—not manipulate it. And it certainly shouldn’t be used as a political tool to unseat officials who have worked diligently on behalf of their constituents.
As election season heats up, Cairo’s residents are calling for fairness, integrity, and accountability—not just from those running for office, but from those who hold the pen.
If local journalism is to remain a pillar of democracy in small towns like Cairo, it must do better. It must be neutral. It must be honest. And it must represent the whole truth—not just the pieces that serve a particular agenda.
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