Summary: <a href="http://jerriwilliams.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/JERRI-WILLIAMS-Podcast-Logo.jpg"></a>I’m celebrating 100 episodes of <a href="http://jerriwilliams.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI Retired Case File Review</a> with a special crime fiction show exploring clichés and misconceptions about the FBI in books, TV, and movies. What most people know about the FBI comes from popular culture. This list features what writers of novels, scripts and screenplays sometimes get wrong about the Bureau and FBI agents. This is my second list. In Episode 50, I also wrote about this topic. Both lists were created for those who read and watch crime fiction about the FBI, write crime fiction and thrillers about the FBI, and who have always wanted to join the FBI.<br> Why should you care if entertainment media gets things wrong about the FBI in books, TV, and movies? Why does it matter if films and novels occasionally contain false information about the FBI?<br> <br> <br> First of all, an educated audience is mentally thrown out of a story each time they read or watch something that’s inaccurate about the FBI. That’s not good. I’m sure writers want to keep readers and viewers engaged.<br> Second of all, when someone writing a novel, script, or screenplay gets essential facts wrong, hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of people now believe erroneous information about the FBI.<br> <br> <br> My co-host for this episode is retired agent Bobby Chacon. We have both “been there” and “done that.” As you may recall, Bobby was my co-host in Episode 50, and in Episode 8, I interviewed him about working Jamaican drug gang cases and leading the FBI dive team.<br> I should be clear that as an author of FBI crime fiction I understand the use of creative license. I’m also aware that many of the clichés and misconceptions presented here are intentionally written into books, scripts, and screenplays due to time constraints and the need to create well-paced scenes and fully developed characters. These shortcuts are needed, at times, to tell a story in an entertaining way. Nevertheless, it’s also important to know how things really work. So, here are 10 more clichés and misconceptions about the FBI:<br> #1 The FBI recruits only former police, military officers, attorneys, and accountants. Actually, candidates for the special agent position come from a vast variety of backgrounds. Some worked everyday jobs, such as teachers, nurses, sales managers, linguists, cyber/computer specialists, pilots, and engineers before joining the FBI. Others were in pre-FBI positions that you would never imagine, such as dentist, medical doctors, and scientists with Ph.Ds. Let me also add a note about age requirements. Although the qualifying age to join the FBI is 23, the average agent is 30 years old and has worked a managerial-level job for several years prior to receiving an appointment. The mandatory retirement age for GS 1811 series federal law enforcement officers is 57. Of course, an agent can receive a limited extension if his or her continued service is in the public’s interest. However, most agents retire from the FBI in their early 50’s to start post-FBI-retirement positions while they’re still marketable (ageism exists, even for FBI agents). Some TV shows cast actors that are too young or too old for the role of an FBI agent.<br> #2 Female FBI agents wear low, cut tight-fitting clothes. TV shows like Quantico overemphasize the physical attributes of the actresses portraying female agents. In the real world, all agents wear attire appropriate for the specific work environment. Female FBI characters are also often depicted as single and childless, when in fact, most female agents, like their male counterparts, have families. It can be done. But like any other high-pressure position, it requires support to navigate the long days with unpredictable hours and out-of-town travel.<br>
