Our Disinformation Karen is Back, and Of Course She's Demanding to Speak to Your Supervisor

Who can I sue for her being appointed to that board in the first place? https://t.co/tonZ9uMkK9

— TSB (@TweetingTSB) September 19, 2025

 

So, to review the bidding on this rather old matter, a few years ago Miss Dismal [my pet name for that Mis-Dis-and-Mal information lady] lost her position as DHS's Disinformation Governance Board Czarina after only a few weeks, which she attributed to an information campaign waged against her by, among others, Fox News. 

She sued Fox for, esentially, beating her at her own game of information warfare. That suit has now been soundly dismissed. How soundly was it dismissed, you may wonder? NBC News has this sucinct report of the judge's ruling:

In rejecting Jankowicz’s claims, the judge said that 36 of the 37 statements made on Fox News programs were about the disinformation board and not Jankowicz. The judge ruled that the remaining statement — which was also a reference to the board and not Jankowicz, despite showing an image of her as it was said — was not disinformation because it was a factual statement that matched the wording in the board’s own charter describing its purpose.

Such fun! After that ruling, Miss Dismal ought to give up on lawfare entirely. 

Interestingly, I see that her Wikipedia entry omits any mention that Miss Dismal has registered with the U.S. Justice Department as a foreign agent due to her post-DHS employment by a UK busybody group, one that has received funding from the UK and Australian governments, the U.S. State Department, and USAID. (Presumably, USAID has by now written its last check to Miss Dismal's new employer.)

As for me, I am relieved to know that, even though she's no longer in a position within DHS, Miss Dismal is still hard at work protecting us all against foreign and domestic opinionators who, if left unpoliced, would sneak their unapproved thoughts into our precious information spaces. 

Thanks to her and so many others like her both in and outside government, the internet will be Sanitized For Your Protection!    

We Don't Need No Thought Control (Hey! NPR! Leave That News Alone!)

Bill Maher Issues Wake-Up Call to All Democrats Who Think the NPR Story Is Not a Big Deal

"NPR is to them [Republicans] what this country would be if it was a permanent democratic governorship."

"Of the 87 people working in editorial positions there, 87 are Democrats. Even if… pic.twitter.com/6GbSwqMLA0

— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) April 20, 2024

Do we, kids? Hell no! Just another brick in the wall.

 

State-Affiliated Media is Not to be Trusted, Says Twitter

Here’s peak disinformation-policing. Twitter warning that Voice of America is linking to state-affiliated media. pic.twitter.com/YWC74XnisH

— TSB (@TweetingTSB) May 21, 2022

 

Miss Dismal would be proud. 

Miss Dismal Now Has a Name, and a Voice

The Biden administration rolled out its Disinformation Governance Board this week, in an announcement by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas while addressing Congress on Wednesday. 

The DGB seems to not have any legal powers of its own, but will be part of the Biden administration’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships, so I suppose that federal grants will be the DGB’s weapon of choice against mis-dis-and-mal information. 

Best of all, Miss Dismal now has a face, and a voice. She is Nina Jankowicz, age 33, Executive Director of the DGB and someone with a fabulous musical legacy on social media.* 

I have many questions, and none of them were answered by Secretary Mayorkas. Like, how will the DGB spot mis-dis-and-mal information and then fish it out of the endless stream of news and opinion? Does it have some kind of Dipstick of Truth for measuring the depth and trustworthiness of foreign discourse? Can social media ever be truly Sanitized For Your Protection? And, by what means will the DGB examine a statement by you, me, or anyone else and determine its bona fides? 

Well, he didn't say, so that’s where you just have to have blind faith in the power of government to know what’s best for you. 

In related news this week, the United States – which, remember, invented the Internet – launched the Declaration for the Future of the Internet.** 

According to the White House Spokesperson:

On the international front — what we’re talking about today — we have seen a trend of rising digital authoritarianism, where some states have been acting to repress freedom of expression, to censor independent news sources, to interfere with elections, promote disinformation around the world, and deny their citizens other human rights.

I’m glad my own government doesn’t repress free expression, censor news sources, or do any of that digital authoritarianism stuff. No, it just works with tech companies to do that stuff on its behalf, which is different. To quote the White House spokesperson, they are "flagging problematic posts for Facebook" and "helping to get trusted content out there," and what could be wrong with that? *** 

I mean, unless you're the kind of American who harbors untrusted information. If that's the case, then Miss Dismal and the DGB will set you straight.     

And when my government interferes with elections it does so only for the purpose of promoting Democracy.**** As is well known, Democracy can’t defend itself forever from voters who harbor “unacceptable views,” to quote our neighbor to the North, ‘Jackboots’ Justin Trudeau.***** 

In fact, my government has a long and proud history of forcing democracy upon recalcitrant foreign nations, even if we need to use military force to make them achieve their Democratic Destiny. ****** 

Nothing can possibly go wrong with this Disinformation Governance Board. At least, not unless someone such as Ron DeSantis wins the election in 2024, because he’s just the sort who would use the info-policing powers of DHS for, frankly, partisan purposes.

* Certified True Fact ™ here (among many other performances, which you may google for yourself) 

** Certified True Fact ™ here 

*** Certified True Fact ™ here 

**** Certified True Fact ™ here

***** Certified True Fact ™ here 

****** Certified True Fact ™ here