Article Synopsise
The article in question begins with a brief summary of the current state of New York City from the crime and law enforcement perspective. In this case the author presents a city dogged by problems of poor motivation amongst an aging police force and a lack of experience in the agents of the newly arrived FBI (Muller, 1998). However, as the article develops the area of relevance to the course may be seen as Hoover’s high level of competence in managing the media including pictures publications and the film industry. In short, Hoover as head of the FDI is presented as a character who may not have access to the best work force but a man who through being a savvy media manager is able to have a positive impact upon the development of the organisation’s perception in the eyes of the American public (Muller, 1998).
As the paper develops, specific examples are cited of how Hoover’s media management campaign was used in effect to enhance the reputation of the organisation. For instance, while previous heads of the FBI had shied away from media attention, Hoover embraced Louis de Rochmont’s work which eventually resulted in a collaboration on a documentary style project known as “The house on 92nd street.” The documentary style production included the showing of previously unknown to the public techniques such as the use of micro cameras and film, two way mirrors and finger print identification. In this case the results upon the American public were mixed, for some the exposure provided by Hoover and his organisation provided a feeling of greater security (Muller, 1998). However, for others the documentary raised issues of the breach of civil liberties and the potential misuse of technological advances in filming and monitoring equipment.
After this initial analysis the article goes on to examine a number of cases of the FBI’s portrayal in a series of films and features in which the FBI have been portrayed as both heroes and villains in their own right. In summarising the article one may see that there are many elements to be considered. On the one hand, the article may be seen as providing a specific insight into the “film noire” genera giving a description of actors, their roles within the films and features and the general background to a range of movies. However, to take this article at this face value is to really miss the wider benefit which may be derived from its reading. In reality, this article provides firstly a historical background of some of the events taking place in the so called “Dark City” giving the reader some contextual information about the era in general (Muller, 1998). Secondly, the article provides an insight into the development of the image of the FBI which we have today. In this case, one may see that the FBI’s current reputation is not necessarily linked to the performance of agents within the field per se but instead the way in which the organisation has been portrayed by the press and how key figures within the organisation such as Hoover managed to use the media to develop the organisations image through effective media management. In this case, results may be seen as generally mixed with some holding the FBI to hero type figures while others saw a more serious set of issues raised by direct insights provided through the media’s portrayal of the FBI on screen.
References
Muller, E. (1998). Dark city: The lost world of film noir. New York: St Martin’s Griffin.
