Information Wars. Richard Stengel

      

       Praise for Information Wars

      “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

       Also by Richard Stengel

       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

       Cover

      Praise for Information Wars

      Also by Richard Stengel

       Title Page

       Copyright

       Dedication

      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

       Back Cover

       GLOSSARY OF ACRONYMS

      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