Season 3, Episode 7: Jen Psaki, the White House Press Secretary, joins ISD Director of Programs and Research Kelly McFarland and Council of Foreign Relations Fellow Jennifer Davis for the final episode of season 3. They discuss a specific problem that the press secretary faces every day: disinformation from foreign adversaries who seek to undermine American democracy. Psaki was well-placed to speak to this issue, due to her experience of a highly personalized disinformation campaign from Russian-backed actors during her time as State Department spokesperson from 2013 to 2015. In addition to the particular impact of disinformation on women in the public eye, she discusses positive strategies to counter disinformation, the role of productive partnerships, and how to build trust from the podium. 

Featured articles: 

The New Weapon of Choice: Technology and Information Operations Today, ISD New Global Commons Working Group Report (October 2020)

Democracy under Siege, Freedom House (February 2021)

Episode recorded: November 17, 2021. 

Produced by Alistair Somerville, Kelly McFarland, and Jennifer Davis. Thanks to Amanda Finney at the White House for her help with this episode. 

Episode image: White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki speaks to reporters during a daily briefing on Wednesday, August 27, 2021 in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House. [White House/Yash Mori/Flickr]

Diplomatic Immunity: Frank and candid conversations about diplomacy and foreign affairs

Diplomatic Immunity, a podcast from the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy at Georgetown University, brings you frank and candid conversations with experts on the issues facing diplomats and national security decision-makers around the world. 

Funding support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. 

For more, visit our website, and follow us on Twitter @GUDiplomacy. Send any feedback to [email protected].