Given the alarming trends in the Middle East, America should fashion agile media platforms that influence audiences in the region and—even more importantly—say something compelling.

Over the past several months, the media has reported a number of high profile cases of people (Paul Manafort, Gen. Michael Flynn) and organizations (RT, formerly Russia Today) failing to register as “foreign agents.” Here is what you should know about foreign agents and the American laws that regulate their activities.