A unique account of how the British and United States Governments attempted to adapt their propaganda strategies for counter-terrorism in a post-9/11 global media environment is revealed in a new book by Dr Emma Briant. The book interrogates the structural and cultural development of the propaganda apparatus in the two countries. It illuminates how, through Anglo-American coordination and domestic struggles, planners brought in far-reaching changes to propaganda, worked around barriers and restrictions, and redefined ‘legitimate’ propaganda function for the present day.

The author highlights a compelling need for an independent and public reexamination of continuing strategy development – both for government accountability and to create systems and policies that both respect citizens and build constructive foreign relations. The book’s themes will engage a wide readership including scholars, PR professionals and government personnel.

Professor Robert W. McChesney,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

“Emma Briant’s Propaganda and counter-terrorism is a superb analysis of the propaganda provided by the governments of the United States and United Kingdom in present times. It is thoroughly researched and contextualized, and offers fresh insights into the great risks these practices hold for democracy. This sophisticated book should be mandatory reading for anyone with an interest in the subject.”

Geoffrey Robertson, QC

“Truth, the first casualty in war, has been a major victim in the war on terror. This ground-breaking book takes us to the areas the law does not reach: propaganda, psy-ops and the manipulation of stories about enemies, real and imaginary. What use indeed is a law against the CIA telling lies to US newspapers, when they can tell them to foreign media and have them blown-back? A well-written account of spook-to-spook relations between Washington and London, from Philby to Snowden.”