The Smith Mundt Act of 1948(http://www.statebuy.gov/grants/Assistance-PubDip.htm) apparently has been used in the past to prevent US citizens from being aware of certain propaganda efforts of our government, aimed at foreign countries and their citizenry.
Does anyone know anything about the history of this act, the political climate of that time, the specific intent of its passage through Congress, the first, or initial application of the law?
Initially a function of the U.S. Information Agency, the provisions were amended in 1998 and authority given to the Secretary of the Department of State. A search on Google found these entries, for instance:
Mundt Inventory - State - ... The Smith-Mundt Act cited as the United States Information and Educational Act of 1948 has the objective of disseminating information abroad about the United ...
http://www.departments.dsu.edu/library/archiv
[More results from
www.departments.dsu.edu]
How to Order Publications - ... The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is prohibited from distributing its print materials in the United States by the Smith-Mundt Act. ...
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/engteach
[More results from exchanges.state.gov]
Wired News: Suit Asks US Info Agency to Cough It Up - ... The agency operates partly under the authority of the Smith-Mundt Act of 1948, which authorizes the dissemination of US foreign policy information abroad but ...
http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story
TAP - US Information Agency (USIA) - ... Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) has reportedly objected to the Internet services, as a violation of the Smith-Mundt Act, which prohibits USIA from disseminating ...
http://lists.essential.org/1995/info-policy-n
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