Senator Shaheen Questions State Nominee on Disinformation and Soft Power

Misquoted Remarks on First Amendment and Disinformation

• 💡 Senator Shaheen corrected State Department Nominee Sarah Rogers regarding a quote attributed to NPR CEO Katherine Maher.
• 🎯 The quote, taken out of context, was about the challenge of addressing foreign disinformation, not a criticism of the First Amendment.
• 📌 Maher, then CEO of Wikimedia Media, discussed how robust First Amendment protections make it tricky to address the origins of bad information.
• 🔍 Shaheen emphasized the importance of providing full context for such statements.

Soft Power and American Innovation

• 🇺🇸 Shaheen and Rogers agreed on the critical role of soft power and American innovation in international partnerships.
• 🚀 They believe that given a choice, foreign entities will choose to partner with the U.S. over China.
• ⚠️ However, Shaheen expressed concern that the U.S. lacks the necessary apparatus to effectively communicate its innovation and access to foreign governments.

Combating Foreign Disinformation

• 💰 Experts testified that China spends over $1 billion annually on disinformation campaigns, highlighting a significant disadvantage for the U.S. after the dismantling of the US Agency for Global Media and the Global Engagement Center.
• 🗣️ Shaheen questioned how Rogers would address soft power needs without this infrastructure.
• 💬 Rogers stated that while the Global Engagement Center fostered inter-agency coordination, its dismantling doesn't prevent her from engaging with other agencies.
• 📱 She highlighted the existence of thousands of social media channels, regional State Department assets, and partnerships with influencers as alternative means to disseminate information.
• 📈 Rogers stressed the need for agility, creativity, and measurable impact for every dollar spent on media outreach to ensure accountability and effectiveness.
• ⚖️ She affirmed that if confirmed, her approach to public diplomacy would be to counter disinformation with more speech, not enforced silence, drawing on Justice Brandeis's philosophy.