In her research, FTDM Professor Tricia Jenkins examined how the CIA was portrayed differently in films and television shows that received assistance from the agency and  those that did not. Can you guess if the CIA assisted the following
productions?

1.  Alias
2.  24
3.  Syriana
4.  Covert Affairs
5.  Meet the Parents
6.  Salt
7. The Agency
8. The Recruit

Answers:

1. Yes. The show starring Jennifer Garner did receive CIA assistance in the first season and was used by the agency to attract more women into their ranks when Garner filmed a recruitment video that was shown on college campuses.

2. Not sure. Jenkins says CIA sources have indicated it helped the popular Kiefer Sutherland series, which features the exploits of Jack Bauer, an agent for the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU), but there’s nothing in the public record to support the connection.

3. No. The 2005 film exploring the global influence of the oil industry helped George Clooney win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and was assisted by retired CIA officers, not the agency itself.

4. Yes. Jenkins says one giveaway that the USA Network series has been assisted by the CIA is that it shows the Starbucks inside the CIA’s headquarters.

5. NO. This 2000 comedy didn’t rely on the agency but on retired agents to help create the character of Jack, a retired counterintelligence officer, played by Robert DeNiro.

6. No. Filmmakers relied on retired agency staffers for this Angelina Jolie thriller.

7. Yes. This television series that began airing in 2001 in the days after 911 had the tagline, “Now more than ever we need the CIA.”

8. Yes. This 2003 film stars Al Pacino as a CIA instructor who recruits an MIT-trained computer programmer played by Colin Farrell, who helped the agency recruit potential candidates in critical areas, including those fluent in Farsi and Arabic.