Information Wars. Richard Stengel
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“With the eye of a historian and the passion of a man in the arena, Richard Stengel has given us a compelling and illuminating memoir of his time at the highest levels in the fight against disinformation and for American values. Richly observed and thoughtfully rendered, Stengel’s book is essential reading.”
—Jon Meacham
“Information Wars is a gripping insider account of the U.S. government’s struggle to understand and fight back against a new generation of online threats from extremist messaging and Russian disinformation. As a celebrated journalist who moved into the frontlines of this fight, Richard Stengel sheds new light on how bad actors leverage technology to undermine trust, and helps us better understand what must be done to protect our democracy.”
—Madeleine K. Albright
“With colorful behind-the-scenes stories and razor-sharp insights, Stengel provides the first insider report from the front lines of the disinformation wars waged by Russia and ISIS. At the heart of the struggle was the way the internet allowed people to weaponize grievances, as Donald Trump did in his campaign. Countering this trend is the most crucial challenge for our democracy and free society. Stengel shows how we’ve failed and what we can do in the future.”
—Walter Isaacson
“As a Washington insider and former journalist, Stengel writes from a rare and illuminating double perspective … Stengel’s recounting of the events and individuals, including Putin and Trump, involved in the surge in and fight against propaganda and misinformation is jarring yet hopeful as he concludes with a blueprint for remedy and change.”
—Booklist
“With great clarity, [Stengel] recounts the hurdles he encountered: bureaucratic procedures, acronyms and government-speak, endless vetting and turf battles, all of which slowed efforts to bring his print-oriented office into the era of social media.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“As Richard Stengel argues in his important book Information Wars, certain governments, such as Russia, and terrorist groups, such as the Islamic State (ISIS), engage in disinformation to create their own false and extremist narratives, which democracies, such as the United States, are proving to be ineffective at countering. Mr. Stengel is especially suited to discuss these issues.”
—Washington Times
Mandela’s Way
You’re Too Kind
January Sun
RICHARD STENGEL
HOW WE LOST THE GLOBAL BATTLE AGAINST DISINFORMATION
— & —
WHAT WE CAN DO ABOUT IT
Copyright © 2019 by Richard Stengel
Cover design by D. W. Pine
Preface copyright © 2020 by Richard Stengel
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. Scanning, uploading, and electronic distribution of this book or the facilitation of such without the permission of the publisher is prohibited. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. Any member of educational institutions wishing to photocopy part or all of the work for classroom use, or anthology, should send inquiries to Grove Atlantic, 154 West 14th Street, New York, NY 10011, or [email protected].
Published simultaneously in Canada
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data available for this title.
eISBN 978-0-8021-4799-8
Grove Press
an imprint of Grove Atlantic
154 West 14th Street
New York, NY 10011
Distributed by Publishers Group West
groveatlantic.com
For Mary, Gabriel, and Anton
CONTENTS
Praise for Information Wars
Also by Richard Stengel
Glossary of Acronyms
Preface
Introduction
PART I Welcome to State
PART II Getting There
PART III The Job
PART IV Information War
PART V The Battle Is Engaged
PART VI Disruption
PART VII What to Do About Disinformation
Postscript
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
BBG—Broadcasting Board of Governors
CDA—The Communications Decency Act
CN—Congressional Notification
CSCC—The Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications
CVE—Countering violent extremism
DC—Deputies Committee
DRL—Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
EAP—East Asian and Pacific Affairs
ECA—Educational and Cultural Affairs
EUR—European and Eurasian Affairs
FLEX—Future Leaders Exchange
GEC—Global Engagement Center
H—Office of Congressional Affairs
IVLP—International