Writing
Jankowicz is the author of two books,in 2020 publishing How to Lose the Information War:Russia,Fake News and the Future of Conflict. [6] [7] In The New Yorker Joshua Yaffa called it "a persuasive new book on disinformation as a geopolitical strategy". [3] Jankowicz examines Russian influence operations aimed at weakening democratic nations and thereby strengthening its own standing in international order. [8] This proceeds via six case studies,one per chapter:Estonia,Georgia,Poland,Ukraine together with the Netherlands,Czech Republic,and the United States. [8] She argues for media literacy,public awareness,and an educated electorate as the best means to guard against a disinformation campaign. [7]
In 2022,Jankowicz published How to be a Woman Online:Surviving Abuse and Harassment,and How to Fight Back. [9] [10] In it,she draws on statistics on online sexism and harassment of women,as well as on her own experience and that of journalist Nicole Perlroth, Guardian columnist Van Badham,and video game designer Brianna Wu. [9] It is organized in five sections,dealing with online security,handling trolls,developing supportive communities,navigating social media,and repelling online harassment. [10] A review in Publishers Weekly called it "strategic,focused,and eminently usable ... an essential guide for women interested in standing up for a fairer,safer online world". [9] Writing in The Diplomatic Courier ,Joshua Huminski said that in addition to its usefulness as a how-to guide,reading about the experiences the book sets out to address also serves a second purpose:"forcing the reader to confront these very real and very uncomfortable questions" of why women face a "torrent of online abuse directed at them for the crime of ... having their gender". [10]
Jankowicz has also contributed to The Washington Post and The New York Times . [11]
In April 2022,Jankowicz was selected to head the newly formed Disinformation Governance Board of the United States Department of Homeland Security. [12] [5] The appointment drew criticism from congressional Republicans [13] [4] along with right-wing media outlets [14] [15] and influencers. [16] Jankowicz was subjected to online abuse,harassment,and death threats. [15]
Conservatives said the Board would be used as a tool by Democrats to restrict freedom of speech. [16] [14] [4] Jim Geraghty of National Review said Jankowicz's inclusion in the effort was a "red flag" according to The Washington Post. [13] Critics took issue with Jankowicz's past support for Democrats,praise for efforts to crack down on COVID-19 misinformation,and past tweets about Christopher Steele,author of the Steele dossier,as well as her stated skepticism about the origin of the Hunter Biden laptop controversy. [13] [14] She would later say,"I never said the laptop was fake. I never pushed the Steele dossier. I think if people return to the actual tweets,they will find that I never,never actually said those things,that they were removed from their context." [17]
Republicans also criticized Jankowicz's negative response to Elon Musk's then-standing offer to purchase Twitter. [13] [18] In response,Jankowicz said that at least one of her tweets was "taken out of context". [19] On CNN's State of The Union ,U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas called Jankowicz "eminently qualified,a renowned expert in the field of disinformation",and "neutral". [20] Progressive media watchdog Fairness &Accuracy in Reporting criticized mainstream media for focusing on right-wing criticism without considering potential left-wing objections to Jankowicz's appointment. [21]
On May 18, The Washington Post reported that the board and its working groups would be shut down,pending review,citing failures by DHS to communicate with relevant congressional entities,to respond to criticism of the board's name and its unclear mission,and to defend against right-wing criticism of Jankowicz. [16] On May 18,2022,Jankowicz officially resigned her DHS post and the board and its working groups were "paused" pending review. On August 24,2022,Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas disbanded the board. [22]
A DHS spokesperson said,"Nina Jankowicz has been subjected to unjustified and vile personal attacks and physical threats". [16] On July 10,Jankowicz appeared on Brian Stelter's Reliable Sources ,during which she said that the board's purpose had been misrepresented by "Republicans" and the "far-left",calling the board a "victim of disinformation". She also complained of receiving "disproportionate" attention from the media. [23] Jankowicz asserted her opposition to censorship and pointed to her body of work in the field,which advocates tracking misinformation closely and quickly responding with truthful speech that debunks it. [17] She said she declined an offer of continued employment with the Biden administration,citing what would be a lack of ability to speak to the press and the administration's refusal to "mount a fulsome response" to criticism of her and the board. [17]
In May 2023,Jankowicz sued Fox News for defamation over their coverage of her and her role in the DHS,alleging that Fox's "verifiable falsehoods" damaged her reputation and resulted in harassment and death threats. [24] [25] Jankowicz says that while she was 8 months pregnant,she was advised by her security consultant to leave her home for her own personal safety. [26] The lawsuit was dismissed in July of 2024. [27] [28]
