United States Information Agency

The United States Information Agency (USIA), which existed from 1953 to 1999, was the propaganda arm of the US during the Cold War. It held of staff of approximately 5000 employees to promote US foreign policy abroad. In 1999, it was foled into the Education Bureau at the US State Department.

The Smith-Mundt Act was passed in order to prevent America's own citizens from being propagandized by this agency.

The USIA also operated the Voice of America and the Fullbright Scholarship program.

It is not uncommon for American professors of TESOL and applied linguistics to have served as overseas agents for the USIA. http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/USIA/E-USIA/education/engteaching/specialists.htm

See former USIA employee Dr. Nancy Snow's book Propaganda Inc. for more.