7. Headline: Smear Tactics and Public Perception Guest Author: James Shapiro The DICE committee's investigation was fueled by testimony from Hazel Huffman, a disgruntled former clerk who claimed the project was tainted by communism based on play titles alone. Huffman’s unverified accusations were widely publicized by a hostile press, swaying public opinion against the arts. Although Huffman had limited knowledge of the program, Martin Dies denied Flanagan the chance to cross-examineher, breaking standard congressional protocols. This era established a political "playbook" for attacking cultural organizations by framing progressive ideas as foreign threats, a tactic that continues today. (7)