.StateDept is spending tens of thousands of dollars in order to fight 'disinformation' and 'misinformation' in Uganda. $50,000 is slated for two entities to train journalists in Uganda on 'fact-checking' and how to 'reduce vulnerability.'
President Joe Biden's State Department is spending tens of thousands of dollars in order to fight"disinformation" and"misinformation" in Uganda, documents show. The State Department is slated to hand up to $50,000 to two entities to train journalists in Uganda on"fact-checking" and how to"reduce vulnerability to misinformation and disinformation," according to grant records reviewed by the Washington Examiner.
“The U.S. government has repeatedly funded so-called anti-disinformation operations in other countries which have ultimately turned against disfavored groups of Americans," Vice President Dan Caldwell of Center for Renewing America, a conservative think tank led by ex-Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought under former President Donald Trump, told the Washington Examiner."Republicans in Congress should not support funding these efforts since there is a high probability they will ultimately be weaponized against their own constituents." Biden's State Department and other agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security have faced GOP backlash for dishing out large sums to fight"disinformation." The department, in particular, has been scrutinized following a Washington Examiner report on Feb. 9 that revealed how the agency and a nonprofit group it supports have granted hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Global Disinformation Index — which is feeding conservative website blacklists to advertising companies. Uganda, a country in east Africa with a population of over 45 million people, is a republic that has received a level three travel advisory from the State Department. This means the department is instructing U.S. citizens to"reconsider travel" to the country due to a heightened risk of"crime and terrorism." The new State Department grant, which was posted on Feb. 24 and is accepting applications until March 31, is through the U.S. Embassy in Uganda. It is part of a"public diplomacy" grant program and for"Media Literacy and Counter Disinformation Programs." Through the grant, American universities, state governments, nonprofit groups, or eligible people will be handed money to train Ugandan journalists and other media members"on fact-checking and verification of credible sources and/or the identification of disinformation and misinformation," documents show. Allegedly to inform foreign media members, grantees will conduct"trainings" on how to spot purported disinformation, such as a State Department-touted"media literacy 'hackathon' or coding event to develop [a] tool that support[s] easy fact-checking." The interactive exercise suggestion by the State Department comes after the Global Engagement Center, an interagency housed under it, spent $275,000 in 2021 to develop a video game to fight disinformation, documents show. "As a fiscal conservative, few things are as maddening than to look through the countless list of questionable grants paid for with our hard-earned money," Rep. Ralph Norman , a member of the House Budget Committee, told the Washington Examiner — adding that poorly written bills have"opened the door for this type of ridiculous spending." He added:"Still, perhaps it is time to start hauling some of these bureaucrats before Congress and have them explain why they believe this is an appropriate use of our tax dollars." The Uganda grant has been authorized under the Smith-Mundt Act, which went into effect in 1948 and seeks to"promote the better understanding of the United States among the peoples of the world and to strengthen cooperative international relations." It will occur for a period of between one to 12 months, according to the State Department. "The objective of this funding opportunity is to improve media literacy, reduce vulnerability to misinformation and disinformation, and/or raise awareness about the importance of media literacy and fact checking in Uganda," a State Department spokesperson told the Washington Examiner."Proposed projects will work with an audience of established Ugandan professionals. The State Department and USAID work with trusted local civil society actors and independent media organizations overseas."The U.S. government has pushed other"disinformation" tracking initiatives in recent years as part of the Smith-Mundt Act. In summer 2022, the State Department began fielding applications for an up to $100,000 program to fly in residents in the African country of Cameroon to train them on how to “combat disinformation and deceptive news,” the Daily Caller reported. Similarly, the State Department listed a grant in 2022 in which it aims to spend up to $20,000 to teach children in Cambodia, a southeast Asian country, how to “stop the spread of misinformation."
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Biden's Interior Department keeps dragging its feet on offshore leasingNotwithstanding some recent declines, domestic crude oil prices in the U.S. are about 45% higher than when President Biden was inaugurated. Global crude oil prices are about 48% higher. U.S. gasoline prices are about a dollar higher per gallon. Indeed, between the inauguration and June 2022,…
Read more »
State Department funds left-wing group behind protests against Israeli prime ministerThe State Department has granted tens of thousands of dollars to a left-wing group behind protests in Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, records show.
Read more »
TEXIT: State representative introduces Texas Independence Referendum Act in state legislatureA conservative state representative introduced a bill in the Texas state legislature on Monday. If passed, it would give residents a chance to vote on the state seceding from the United States.
Read more »
Report: State Department Funding Anti-government Group in IsraelThe U.S. State Department has been funding a left-wing organization in Israel that is helping to promote anti-government protest aimed at bringing down Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his judicial reforms.
Read more »
Ivey picks special guest to attend Tuesday’s state of the state addressGov. Kay Ivey will deliver the annual state of the state address to a joint session of the Alabama Legislature Tuesday evening.
Read more »
Treasury Department accused of blocking GOP lawmakers' access to 'suspicious' Biden family bank transactionsRep. James Comer, R-Ky., joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss the FBI investigating a kidnapping of four Americans in Mexico and a Treasury official who is set to testify in the Biden family probe.
Read more »