Kara Sears
In 2013, former US President Barack Obama signed a law that amended the U.S. Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948, also known as the Smith-Mundt Act. This change in legislation has sparked controversy, with some accusing Obama of legalizing propaganda in the United States and making it perfectly legal for the media to purposely lie to the American people. This paragraph will explore the facts behind these claims and the implications of the law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | 2012 |
| Name of the law | Smith-Mundt Modernization Act |
| Part of | National Defense Authorization Act |
| Amendment to | U.S. Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948 (Smith-Mundt Act) |
| Passed as | H.R. 4310 |
| Signed into law | 2013 |
| Sponsor | Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) and Congressman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) |
| Effect | Allowed some materials created by the U.S. Agency for Global Media to be disseminated in the U.S. |
| Effect | Removed restrictions on U.S.-funded and generated content from being aired in the country |
| Effect | Allowed government-sponsored news like Voice of America to be broadcast in the U.S. |
| Effect | Replaced the BBG's bipartisan board with a presidentially appointed advisory board |
| Effect | Scrapped a board consisting of members who served part-time and met infrequently |
| Effect | Consolidated oversight of U.S. nonmilitary broadcasting in the hands of a single chief executive |
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What You'll Learn
Obama did not repeal the Smith-Mundt Act
In 2013, Barack Obama signed an amendment to the US Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948, also known as the Smith-Mundt Act. This amendment did not repeal the Smith-Mundt Act, but rather lifted some restrictions on the domestic dissemination of government-funded media.
The Smith-Mundt Act was introduced in 1948 to specify the terms in which the US government could engage in public diplomacy. The Act included provisions for "the creation of an information service to disseminate abroad information about the United States, its people, and policies." The Act was amended in 1972 and 1985, with the latter amendment including a prohibition on domestic dissemination of materials intended for foreign audiences by the State Department.
The 2013 amendment to the Smith-Mundt Act, which was part of the National Defense Authorization Act, allowed some materials created by the US Agency for Global Media to be disseminated in the US. This agency is the nation's foreign broadcasting agency and produces programming such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.
The amendment did not repeal the existing restrictions on domestic dissemination of government-funded media but rather allowed for some exceptions. The US Agency for Global Media and its supported media organizations can now make their content available in broadcast quality upon request within the United States. However, the agency is still not authorized to create programs for audiences in the United States, nor does it seek to do so.
Critics of the amendment voiced concerns that lifting the restrictions could result in information designed to influence foreign audiences being used against American citizens. However, proponents argued that the previous ban made it difficult for Americans to access and evaluate this content.
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The Smith-Mundt Act was amended in 1972 and 1985
The Smith-Mundt Act, or the U.S. Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948, was first introduced in 1945 and signed into law in 1948. The Act was developed to regulate broadcasting for foreign audiences and prohibited the domestic dissemination of materials produced by such programs.
In 1972, the Act was amended to prohibit domestic access to information intended for foreign audiences. This meant that the United States Department of State and the United States Information Agency (USIA) were not allowed to disseminate information intended for foreign audiences, with the intent that Congress, the American media, or academia would be the distributors of such information.
In 1985, the Act was again amended in response to Senator Edward Zorinsky's declaration that USIA would be no different from an organ of Soviet propaganda if its products were available domestically. The amendment specified that no program material prepared by the United States Information Agency shall be distributed within the United States.
In 2012, under President Barack Obama, the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act amended the original Smith-Mundt Act. This amendment allowed materials produced by the State Department and the Broadcasting Board of Governors to be made available within the United States. This change was part of a strategic plan adopted in 2011 and did not authorize the creation of programming for domestic audiences but rather allowed for the dissemination of materials upon request.
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The US Agency for Global Media can now make content available in the US
In 2013, former US President Barack Obama signed a law that amended the U.S. Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948, also known as the Smith-Mundt Act. This amendment allowed some materials created by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) to be disseminated in the US. However, it is important to note that this amendment did not repeal the Smith-Mundt Act but rather lifted restrictions on the domestic dissemination of government-funded media.
The USAGM is the nation's foreign broadcasting agency, and with this new law, its content can now be made available in broadcast quality upon request within the United States. This includes content from media organizations supported by the USAGM, such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. These organizations have a vast reach, broadcasting in over 60 languages and viewed in more than 100 countries.
The amendment was part of the strategic plan adopted in 2011 by the governing board overseeing the USAGM at the time, then known as the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG). The BBG is the agency that oversees civilian government broadcasting and media operations. The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act, introduced in 2010 and made part of a larger piece of legislation in 2012, takes into account modern content platforms that are not restricted by national boundaries, such as the internet, mobile delivery, and satellite broadcasting.
While the amendment allows for the domestic dissemination of USAGM content, it is important to note that existing laws still prohibit the agency from creating programs specifically for audiences in the United States. The USAGM's enabling statute, the U.S. International Broadcasting Act of 1994, authorizes the agency to create programs for foreign audiences, and there has been no change to this mandate. Additionally, journalists working for the USAGM must abide by legally mandated broadcasting standards and principles to present accurate and objective news and information.
The legislation has been praised by supporters as a much-needed reform that will improve the performance of US international broadcasting. However, critics have raised concerns about journalistic independence and the potential for domestic propaganda. Despite these concerns, the law now enables people across America to access the news reported by the agency's journalists, providing a different perspective to that of independent, private-sector media outlets.
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The law was part of a larger bill on US defense spending
In 2013, former US President Barack Obama signed a law that amended the US Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948, also known as the Smith-Mundt Act. This law was part of a larger bill on US defense spending. The amendment allowed some materials created by the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM)—the nation's foreign broadcasting agency—to be disseminated domestically in the US.
The US government created the agency now known as the USAGM during World War II to broadcast American-centric programming to foreign audiences. The agency has an annual operating budget of $805 million and oversees five media networks that reach millions of viewers and listeners abroad.
The amendment lifted some restrictions on the domestic dissemination of government-funded media. It did not, however, repeal the Smith-Mundt Act or legalise propaganda in the US. The law allowed USAGM broadcasters to make their content available in broadcast quality upon request within the United States. This included programming such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks.
The law was criticised as a green light for US domestic propaganda efforts, with concerns raised about the potential for the government to influence American citizens. Supporters of the law countered that the previous ban made it difficult for Americans to access and evaluate this content.
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Critics say it could endanger journalistic independence
In 2013, Obama signed legislation that changed the U.S. Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948, also known as the Smith-Mundt Act. This amendment did not repeal the Smith-Mundt Act but lifted some restrictions on the domestic dissemination of government-funded media. The U.S. Agency for Global Media and the media organizations that it supports can now make their content available in broadcast quality upon request within the United States.
Critics have raised concerns that this could endanger journalistic independence and damage the journalistic integrity of the media outlets under the agency's umbrella. They argue that such powers in the hands of a White House-appointed CEO could impinge on editorial firewalls between the outlets and the government.
In a statement, Obama addressed these concerns, stating that the legislation retains the "longstanding statutory firewall, protecting against interference with and maintaining the professional independence of the agency's journalists and broadcasters and thus their credibility as sources of independent news and information."
Despite these assurances, opponents of the bill have warned that the president could seek to install a loyalist who would wield the agency as a tool of their agenda. This concern is particularly salient given that the law was signed in the context of a contentious relationship between the press and the incoming Trump administration.
Furthermore, critics have voiced concern that lifting the restrictions could result in information designed to influence foreign audiences being used against American citizens. They argue that this could constitute a form of domestic propaganda and endanger the independence of journalistic outlets by exposing them to government influence.
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Frequently asked questions
No. In 2013, Obama signed legislation that changed the U.S. Information and Educational Exchange Act of 1948, also known as the Smith-Mundt Act. The amendment did not repeal the Smith-Mundt Act, but rather lifted some restrictions on the domestic dissemination of government-funded media.
The Smith-Mundt Act was a Cold War measure intended to compete with propaganda from the Soviet Union and Communist organizations primarily in Europe. It established the programming mandate that still serves as the foundation for U.S. overseas information and cultural programs at the Department of State.
The amendment allowed some materials created by the U.S. Agency for Global Media, the nation’s foreign broadcasting agency, to be disseminated in the U.S.
