Lessons From a Longtime Counter-Disinformation Practitioner

The task of countering deliberate disinformation and unintentional misinformation has become a veritable cottage industry in recent years. Before this, the article author countered Soviet, Russian, and Iraqi disinformation, as well as false anti-American urban legends and conspiracy theories for 25 years between 1987 and 2023, often as the sole counter-disinformation expert at the U.S. Information Agency and subsequently the State Department, including later at its Global Engagement Center. He recounts claims he debunked, including AIDS disinformation, child organ trafficking rumors, and September 11 conspiracy theories. He discusses the methods he used and offers lessons learned for the future from his long, unique career for a challenge that is certain to become a growing concern as new technology enables the fine-tuning of messages for increasing audiences worldwide.