We don't need a 'disinformation governance board'
Comparisons to a "ministry of truth" seem apt considering our current discourse about disinformation.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas dropped a bombshell last week when he announced the formation of a "disinformation governance board." His comments came during his testimony in a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on the FY 2023 budget for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
His impromptu announcement was sparked when U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., asked Mayorkas what DHS planned to do to address misinformation campaigns targeting minority communities.
He answered that a "disinformation governance campaign" had been created to "bring the department's resources together to address the threat."
Later the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in a statement to the Associated Press, said, "The spread of disinformation can affect border security, Americans' safety during disasters, and public trust in our democratic institutions."
Politico first reported that Nina Jankowicz would be the executive director for the new entity. She previously served as a disinformation fellow for the Wilson Center.
Republicans were quick to criticize that news.
Jankowicz labeled the Hunter Biden laptop story before the 2020 elections "Russian disinformation" and "Trump campagin product."
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