Posted on 12/09/2016 4:06:02 AM PST by EBH
Portman/Murphy Bill Promotes Coordinated Strategy to Defend America, Allies Against Propaganda and Disinformation from Russia, China & Others
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) today announced that their Countering Disinformation and Propaganda Act – legislation designed to help American allies counter foreign government propaganda from Russia, China, and other nations – has passed the Senate as part of the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Report. The bipartisan bill, which was introduced by Senators Portman and Murphy in March, will improve the ability of the United States to counter foreign propaganda and disinformation by establishing an interagency center housed at the State Department to coordinate and synchronize counter-propaganda efforts throughout the U.S. government. To support these efforts, the bill also creates a grant program for NGOs, think tanks, civil society and other experts outside government who are engaged in counter-propaganda related work. This will better leverage existing expertise and empower local communities to defend themselves from foreign manipulation.
“The passage of this bill in the Senate today takes us one critical step closer to effectively confronting the extensive, and destabilizing, foreign propaganda and disinformation operations being waged against us. While the propaganda and disinformation threat has grown, the U.S. government has been asleep at the wheel. Today we are finally signaling that enough is enough; the United States will no longer sit on the sidelines. We are going to confront this threat head-on,” said Senator Portman. “With the help of this bipartisan bill, the disinformation and propaganda used against our allies and our interests will fail.”
“Congress has taken a big step in fighting back against fake news and propaganda from countries like Russia. When the president signs this bill into law, the United States will finally have a dedicated set of tools and resources to confront our adversaries’ widespread efforts to spread false narratives that undermine democratic institutions and compromise America’s foreign policy goals,” said Murphy. “I’m proud of what Senator Portman and I accomplished here because it’s long past time for the U.S. to get off the sidelines and confront these growing threats.”
NOTE: The bipartisan Countering Disinformation and Propaganda Act is organized around two main priorities to help achieve the goal of combatting the constantly evolving threat of foreign disinformation. They are as follows:
The first priority is developing a whole-of-government strategy for countering foreign propaganda and disinformation. The bill would increase the authority, resources, and mandate of the Global Engagement Center to include state actors like Russia and China in addition to violent extremists. The Center will be led by the State Department, but with the active senior level participation of the Department of Defense, USAID, the Broadcasting Board of Governors, the Intelligence Community, and other relevant agencies. The Center will develop, integrate, and synchronize whole-of-government initiatives to expose and counter foreign disinformation operations and proactively advance fact-based narratives that support U.S. allies and interests.
Second, the legislation seeks to leverage expertise from outside government to create more adaptive and responsive U.S. strategy options. The legislation establishes a fund to help train local journalists and provide grants and contracts to NGOs, civil society organizations, think tanks, private sector companies, media organizations, and other experts outside the U.S. government with experience in identifying and analyzing the latest trends in foreign government disinformation techniques. This fund will complement and support the Center’s role by integrating capabilities and expertise available outside the U.S. government into the strategy-making process. It will also empower a decentralized network of private sector experts and integrate their expertise into the strategy-making process.
Think NPR. This simply increases the flow of federal money to "NGO's" like Politico, Snopes, etc. who label themselves as "fact-checkers", when in fact they are propaganda organs for the left/Democrats. You can bet that no money will go to Breitbart and conservative organizations.
Portman is a knob
Sounds to me as though the government is merely going to continue what it always has, misleading the public with government propaganda. Status quo, except wasting government money on fake news.
This is an attempt to undermine Trump with the mantra: he won because Russia interfered with the US election by publishing, regardless of whether it was true, the emails from Podesta.
It’s against the law to disagree with the NYT’s and Wapo’s propaganda.
Fact of the matter is, everybody does this. Some are more independent (less trusting) than others.
The government told the public that a video sparked the attack in Benghazi, that there have been no terrorist attacks on US soil since Obama took office, and so on. The US government is a prolific originator of fake news.
This is the founding law of the Ministry of Truth.
Some of the worst propaganda comes from NPR
I agree..... we get the best news here from UK reporting
I’m not really aware of any foreign government related propaganda regularly inserted into the daily lies of our homegrown media. In the immediate past we can say with absolute certainty that the government with the most blatant propaganda is our own.
The other side of the coin is how is the American Government conducting cyber war at present. We do not know. It is a pretty safe bet that the foreign efforts are in fact lagging attempts to defend against very secret American attack.
Yes, but does it defend America against the continuous propaganda of the mainstream news media? If not, it is wholly inadequate.
Your post accurately described the essence of the bill. Portman writes it in his own words. Can’t we rid ourselves of these RINOs.
“The legislation establishes a fund to help train local journalists and provide grants and contracts to NGOs, civil society organizations, think tanks, private sector companies, media organizations, and other experts outside the U.S. government with experience in identifying and analyzing the latest trends in foreign government disinformation techniques.”
They always like to slip authoritarian laws into the NDAA. They have been pulling this crap since the NDAA of 2012 was silently signed into law on 31 Dec 11. It pretty much shredded the 4th through 8th amendments under a declared emergency (never let one go to waste).
The uniparty continues to move towards George Orwell’s warning of our possible future. We may have to really go to the fourth box provided in the US Constitution to deal with these fascists in DC.
This is censorship of the internet and any other source of news that might not fit with the government approved propaganda disseminated by the current LSM.
so....it’s getting the U.S. Federal Government into the domestic propaganda business?
Reagan pulled us out of UNESCO because the U.N. was intending to do this very thing.
I agree.
Me, too.
What we really need is protection from US government propaganda.
The best protection against propaganda is an educated public. But the US government controls the schools and therefore prevents that.
So this originated in the Senate. It still has to go to the house for passage before it ends on Obama’s desk. Everyone, write your representative NOW!
It’s internet censorship pure and simple.
Portman needs to be run out on a rail.
Agree 100%.
Why is this RINO still in the Senate?
Originated in the house - http://dailycaller.com/2016/12/08/senate-sends-veto-proof-defense-spending-bill-to-obamas-desk/
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