National reporting on Barack Obama making propaganda legal in America
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) September 15, 2025
“Obama repealed the 1948 Smith–Mundt Act, which then permitted propaganda to be in broadcasting. It no longer said that it had to be credible”
Restore the Smith-Mundt Act and call it The Charlie Kirk Act pic.twitter.com/VpHmE1x56C
The original 1948 Smith-Mundt Act, also known as the U.S. Information and Educational Exchange Act, established the statutory foundation for U.S. public diplomacy. Its primary purpose was to promote a better understanding of the United States among foreign publics and strengthen international relations by creating an information service for overseas audiences.
Key provisions of the 1948 act
- Counter-propaganda: Passed during the Cold War, the act aimed to combat communist propaganda from the Soviet Union by engaging in a global "struggle for minds and wills".
- Domestic dissemination ban: The act's most significant provision was a ban that prevented the domestic dissemination of informational materials produced for foreign audiences by U.S. government entities, such as the Voice of America (VOA). This was intended to insulate the American public from being targeted by government-produced content and protect against the creation of state propaganda.
- International exchange programs: The legislation provided for educational and cultural exchange programs, including the exchange of students, teachers, and leaders in various fields, to foster cooperative relations.
- Oversight: The act required the U.S. government to utilize private agencies "to the maximum extent practicable" for its information activities and created advisory commissions.
The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012
The original act was significantly amended by the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012, which became effective in July 2013. This change fundamentally altered the domestic dissemination ban.
- End of the domestic ban: The 2012 act officially abolished the decades-old ban on sharing U.S.-produced content for foreign audiences with the American public.
- Promoting transparency: The repeal was advocated as a way to increase government transparency, reflecting the reality of modern, borderless media like the internet.
- Greater accessibility: The amendment allows the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees organizations like VOA, to make program materials available domestically upon request. This content is also accessible online and via other platforms.
- Ongoing oversight: While the ban was lifted, the law retains safeguards. It still prohibits the U.S. government from using funds to "influence public opinion or propagandize" the American people, and this prohibition applies only to the State Department and USAGM. Content released domestically must still adhere to legally mandated standards of accuracy and objectivity.
