Updating Smith-Mundt for the 21st Century

Helle Dale / July 19, 2010

Since 1948, Cold War legislation has been tying the hands of practitioners of U.S. public diplomacy and international broadcasting. The law in question is the Smith-Mundt Act, which was intended to allow the State Department to counter Soviet propaganda in foreign media, while at the same time forbidding it from aiming propaganda at Americans at home through print or airwaves. This made sense at the time, but the world and—and the world of communication technology—has changed greatly.

Considering that changed international environment, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R–TX) and Adam Smith (D–WA), both members of the House Intelligence and Armed Services Committees, have introduced the “Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2010” (H.R. 5729). “It is time—past time really—to update this law that ties the hands of our diplomats, military, and intelligence professionals. (more…)