The United States Information Agency (USIA), which existed from 1953 to 1999, was a United States agency devoted to what it called "public diplomacy." The term public diplomacy (q.v.) is closely related to the word "propaganda," possibly synonymous with it depending on how the latter word is defined.
USIA'S MISSION: PUBLIC DIPLOMACY
USIA's mission was to understand, inform and influence foreign publics in promotion of the national interest, and to broaden the dialogue between Americans and U.S. institutions and their counterparts abroad.
USIA's goals were:
- Increased understanding and acceptance of U.S. policies and U.S. society by foreign audiences.
- Broadened dialogue between Americans and U.S. institutions and their counterparts overseas.
- Increased U.S. Government knowledge and understanding of foreign attitudes and their implications for U.S. foreign policy.
The Foreign Affairs and Restructuring Act abolished the U.S. Information Agency effective October 1, 1999.
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