Why Congress Must Repeal Obama’s Smith-Mundt Modernization Act

When I studied journalism at the University of Maryland, we were trained to recognize “yellow journalism” — sensational reporting that sacrifices truth for attention. Today, American media has been overtaken by a new, more dangerous trend: “red journalism,” where government propaganda has replaced honest reporting. The reason? The 2012 Smith-Mundt Modernization Act, a law quietly slipped into the National Defense Authorization Act under President Obama. This legislation lifted bans on U.S.-funded propaganda meant for foreign audiences, allowing government and legacy media to collude on delivering propaganda to the American public. 

Ostensibly designed to counter “misinformation”, this amendment has allowed the government to weaponize our press, turning it from a watchdog into a megaphone for political agendas and false narratives. Once a pillar of democracy, legacy media has become a lap dog of the government, pushing narratives that serve those in power, not the truth.

Under Obama, media outlets went from scrutinizing policies, events, and politicians to uncritically parroting government talking points. When the Affordable Care Act’s rollout tanked, legacy outlets downplayed the issues and glossed over glaring government missteps. This disturbing pattern of sanitizing the news in favor of political spin has continued, feeding Americans one-sided narratives disguised as journalism.

Under Biden, this alignment has intensified. Critical issues like Covid, his cognitive decline, border security, inflation, and disastrous foreign policy decisions are routinely softened, outright ignored or blatantly lied about. The Afghanistan withdrawal, a deadly debacle, saw the press repeating official statements that minimized or ignored the administration’s failures. Real, investigative reporting was left to independent journalists and international sources.

This propaganda machine is especially clear in election coverage. Legacy media’s bias has shifted from subtle to brazen. Kamala Harris received glowing, uncritical coverage that boosted her image, while Donald Trump was forced to endure unsubstantiated accusations and dangerous rhetoric. From hiding the Hunter Biden laptop scandal to glossing over President Biden’s cognitive decline, legacy media has shown they are not just biased but actively complicit in shaping political outcomes to favor the administration. This is not journalism — it’s election interference and public manipulation.

A free press is the bedrock of democracy, a crucial check on government power. When the media stops questioning and starts amplifying the official line, the public loses access to objective information and becomes vulnerable to manipulation. The Smith-Mundt Modernization Act has turned American media from truth-tellers into mouthpieces for those in power, destroying public trust and democracy itself.

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Moving forward, our new Congress must make it a priority to repeal the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act and hold news outlets legally accountable for factually accurate, transparently sourced reporting. This is not an assault on free speech; it’s a demand for journalistic integrity. Our nation deserves a media landscape free from government influence, and repealing the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act of 2012 would be a significant move toward that goal. Congress must seize this opportunity to restore the boundaries that protect a free and independent press and, by extension, preserve the public’s trust in the information they receive.

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Elicia Brand is the founder and president of Army of Parents in Loudoun County, VA.

The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.