Congress and the White House have ignored the "safeguards" built into the Smith-Mundt Act, abdicating their responsibilities in managing America's international information programs.
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Mid-Week Quote: “information consequences of policy ought always be taken into account”
'Sometimes policy is "made" by the junior officer who writes an original memorandum. Sometimes it is made by an unexpected utterance at a top-level press conference. But the information consequences of policy ought always be taken into account, and the information man ought always to be consulted.'
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There is a new Executive Director of the US Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy
The U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy is charged with appraising U.S. Government activities intended to understand, inform, and influence foreign publics. The Commission formulates and recommends to the President, the Secretary of State, and Members of Congress policies and programs to carry out the public diplomacy functions vested in the State Department, Broadcasting Board of Governors, and other government agencies, as well as appraising the effectiveness of the public diplomacy policies and programs carried out by government agencies. There are seven members on the Commission, with “not more than four members may be from one political party.” In February, the White House sent to the Senate four nominations for…
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Defense Department Plan on Strategic Communication and Science and Technology
A newly released report from the Department of Defense may be the first to specifically consider the role of science and technology efforts supporting the broad range of SC activities across the whole of government.