First introduced in 1945- ironically after defeating the Nazi propaganda machine in WWII- the Smith-Mundt Act was introduced in the United States House of Representatives by Republican congressman Karl Mundt of South Dakota. It was not until 1948 that the act was signed into law by Democrat president Harry S. Truman. The Smith-Mundt Act would later be modernized in 2012 by Republican congressman Mac Thornberry of Texas.
The original intent of the legislation was to allow for the United States government to sanction pro-America propaganda abroad. Initially a weapon used to combat the spread of Communism and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the impact of the Smith-Mundt Act is still being felt throughout the world. The act commissioned the 'Voice of America' radio broadcast abroad. Commonly referred to as the 'VOA,' this broadcast is still commissioned abroad in foreign territories.
The original Smith-Mundt Act called for 'the creation of an information service to disseminate abroad information about the United States, its people, and policies." This legislation essentially introduced American propaganda to people in countries that were unaware of American values and ways of life. It has escaped the controversy that most legislation experiences and has not faced backlash from opponents; it is not mainstream enough a problem to cause trouble.
In 2012, the Smith-Mundt Act, like most legislation, underwent a modernization. Republican congressman Mac Thornberry of Texas introduced the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act. Formally known as 'United States Information and Educational Exchange Act' this modernization called for an amendment to the original legislation to allow for the dissemination of pro-America propaganda within the borders of the United States.
Signed in 2012 by Democrat president Barack Obama, the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act passed through the House of Representatives with little opposition. Proponents of the modernization act claim that allowing for domestic broadcast allows for a more efficient way to disseminate propaganda abroad. Opponent to the legislation claim that the Voice of America will be used as a fourth arm of the United States government to push pro-America propaganda against its own people.
The Smith-Mundt Act, and its subsequent modernization act, are not well known to the majority of American citizens. The Voice of America is not a mainstream news source known by people. Despite being a political science major, this is the first I have ever heard of this legislation and the Voice of America.
Many feared, during the Trump years, that President Donald Trump would use the Voice of America broadcast (both foreign and domestic) as a pro-Trump broadcast rather than pro-America. Though not used by the president himself, the Voice of America has been used by presidents of the past to push policy agenda's abroad.
This legislation does not have any noticeable impacts on the average American. Not known to most, the Smith-Mundt Act has not led to controversial media coverage or criticism by regular people. The VOA is a radio broadcast meant to spew pro-American information in foreign countries mainly targeting pro-Communist regimes. Most people are not even aware this is a thing as the passage of the amendment did not make top news headlines- this being said, most people are unaware of these changes so it is nearly impossible to measure positive, or negative, impacts on Americans.
Critics Fret About Smith-Mundt Modernization Act | CSC Center for Strategic Communication
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