FBI 101: A Guide for Writers

By Rory O'Connor, AlterNet. Posted June 7, 2007.

"LOCK UP THE DATE!" the invitation commanded -- clear evidence that at least someone in the bowels of the federal bureaucracy has a sneaky sense of humor. The event in question -- "FBI 101" -- promised "Essentials for Writers," an "exciting and informative" interactive workshop for writers being offered to members of my union -- the Writers Guild of America, East - by the FBI Office of Public Affairs and FBI New York.

In addition to the usual motley assemblage of scruffy WGAE ne'er-do-wells, attendees from the Bureau included experts in evidence response, crisis management, counterterrorism, and weapons of mass destruction, among other disciplines. The seminar's stated purpose was to "learn how to accurately depict today's FBI and how we can help you with your script or screenplay."

Since my screenplay (much like my life) is currently in something called "turnaround," I went as a mere blogger, albeit one with an avowed and continuing interest in such topics as "Who does what? in post-9/11 national security," how does "the FBI investigate international terrorism?" and even "How and when FBI special teams are activated." Topics of lesser interest were still intriguing, including "What are the latest and greatest crime scene tools and gear?" and "What assistance can FBI give film and television writers?"

Nevertheless, as it isn't everyday the Feds offer to have "your questions answered whether you are checking facts, running a show, writing, or researching," I hauled myself down to the Federal Building in Lower Manhattan, persuaded, as the invitation opined, that "if you need a better understanding of the FBI, this workshop is for you!"

The session started with a greeting from the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI New York field office -- generally considered to be pre-eminent among the fifty-six such offices scattered around the country. He put things in perspective, bluntly stating, "We hope today to impress you with the high purpose of our efforts here at the FBI."

FBI Assistant Director of Public Affairs John Miller followed. Miller's presence was an indication of how much firepower the Bureau was investing in this PR effort. It was also a shrewd choice because of his legendary status in New York media circles. He knows the game, how to play it at a high level, and precisely what red meat will motivate this crowd.

Miller, whose journalistic awards include two Peabodys, a DuPont-Columbia Award, and nine Emmys, began working as a journalist decades ago at WNEW and later WNBC. In 1994 he quit to take a "dream job" as chief spokesman for Police Commissioner William Bratton, but left a year later when Bratton was forced out by then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, jealous of the acclaim Bratton and his team received for plummeting crime rates.

Miller then crossed back over to the media, working first as an ABC News correspondent and later as 20/20 co-anchor with Barbara Walters. (While at ABC, he conducted a famous May 1998 interview with Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan.) But after Bratton took over the Los Angeles police force, Miller went back into public service, as head of the LAPD Counter-Terrorism and Criminal Intelligence Bureau. In 2005, he left to become the Assistant Director of the FBI.

Miller played to his crowd expertly. First he confirmed what they already think they know -- that New York is supreme in all things! "It all happens here," said Miller. "With the UN, there are more spies in New York than anywhere else; there are more members of La Cosa Nostra and other organized crime groups here than anywhere else; there's more industrial espionage..." At least when it comes to crime stopping, New York is "the center of the Earth."

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Filmmaker and journalist Rory O'Connor writes the Media Is A Plural blog.

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