FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2022
Contact: Annie Swingen, Director for External Relations
swingen@afpc.org - mobile/WhatsApp 571-236-5376
Washington, DC -- Earlier this month, the American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC) was delighted to welcome Monika Richter as a Fellow in Public Diplomacy.
Her work focuses on authoritarian influence and democratic security—specifically the intersection of disinformation and foreign information manipulation, digital threats, and strategic communications. She has an interdisciplinary background spanning research and policy development across the public, private, and non-profit sectors in Europe and the United States.
Alongside her AFPC fellowship, Monika is the Head of Research and Analysis at Semantic Visions, a digital intelligence company based in Prague. Previously, she worked at the European Union, where she served on the EEAS East StratCom Task Force on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic as the seconded national expert on Russian disinformation and influence operations.
Monika holds an MPhil in European Politics from the University of Oxford (St. Antony's College, 2014-2016), and conducted early research about the impact of Russian disinformation in Europe and the United States following the 2014 invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea. As an undergraduate, she studied International Relations and Philosophy at the University of St Andrews. She is a first-generation American, born to emigres from communist Czechoslovakia.
"Disinformation is a growing threat to democratic societies, undermining trust in institutions and spreading false narratives,” AFPC Senior Vice President Ilan Berman said. “In Monika, we’re enormously fortunate to have both a scholar and practitioner who has worked on the front lines of this emerging challenge. Her insights will be an asset to our work in raising awareness among policymakers of the threat it poses, and how best to respond."
About AFPC: For four decades, the American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC) has played an essential role in the U.S. foreign policy debate. Founded in 1982, AFPC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to bringing information to those who make or influence the foreign policy of the United States and to assisting world leaders with building democracies and market economies. AFPC is widely recognized as a source of timely, insightful analysis on issues of foreign policy, and works closely with members of Congress, the Executive Branch and the policymaking community. It is staffed by noted specialists in foreign and defense policy, and serves as a valuable resource to officials in the highest levels of government.
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