The CIA and Hollywood
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The CIA and Hollywood describes what John Kiriakou says is a permanent, institutional relationship rather than an occasional courtesy.

The branch

Asked how important the agency considers soft power through film and television, his answer was "critically important, to the point where the CIA has set up a branch within the Office of Public Affairs whose job it is solely to cooperate with Hollywood studios."

The precedent he gives is the FBI, which he says has done the same since the 1950s. The purpose is uniform: "the CIA works with Hollywood studios to make sure that everything that comes out of Hollywood has a pro-CIA message."

The legal problem

"Technically it's illegal for the CIA to propagandize the American people. But that's what happens every time a CIA related film is released. It's propaganda."

The case he uses to show how far the cooperation runs is Zero Dark Thirty, which in his account "broke all kinds of laws": the director and writer were given classified briefings over a classified mock-up of the bin Laden compound by counterterrorism centre analysts, and gave those analysts watches and premiere tickets in return. "Well, they should all be in prison for that. Technically that's a violation of the Espionage Act. Instead, the film was celebrated as a victory at the CIA."

The detail of that production is treated at Zero Dark Thirty; the press side of the same apparatus at CIA media relations.

See also

- Zero Dark Thirty
- CIA media relations
- Operation Mockingbird
- American Media Consolidation
