United States Information Agency

The United States Information Agency (USIA), best known for the Voice of America (VOA) and the Fulbright Fellowships, was a U.S. foreign affairs agency from 1953 to 1999. It was established by President Eisenhower to explain U.S. foreign policy and promote national interests abroad through a program of public diplomacy. USIA supporters assert that its public diplomacy programs made a crucial contribution to the collapse of the Eastern Bloc by promoting the values of freedom and democracy. Detractors counter that the agency did no such thing and, in fact, mirrored its Soviet counterpart in the use of propaganda and selective truths.

The USIA's mission was continuously redefined by the changing international political environment, with priorities determined by an array of policy makers and leaps in new ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles