The Presidential alert SMS system was devised under Obama. I think it's a good thing to have for national alerts, in the event of disaster or BOLO (in the case of someone sending ricin to the SecDef a few days ago). It might've been designed as a propaganda tool, but I doubt that's what it'll be used as under the current administration. After all, CNN et al are just CIA mouthpieces (Operation Mockingbird), so they've got the propaganda thing handled pretty well already .