There are myriad podcasts out there about crimes, mysteries and unbelievable stories, and evidently, the CIA wants in.
The Central Intelligence Agency has just launched The Langley Files, an official podcast featuring past and present agents as well as “special guests” telling stories — well, those “that they can” reveal — in an effort to “demystify” the mysterious agency.
“At CIA, there are truths we can share, and stories we can tell,” a voiceover says in a teaser recently uploaded to YouTube. “Stories of duties and dedication. Stories of ingenuity and mission. Stories beyond Hollywood scripts and shadowed whispers…”
According to the cast, “The mission of The Langley Files: A CIA Podcast is to educate and connect with the general public, sharing insight into the Agency’s core mission, capabilities, and agility as an intelligence leader…and to share some interesting stories along the way!”
The first guest is CIA Director Bill Burns, who, along with hosts Dee and Walter, tries “to dispel some common misconceptions about the CIA.”
Burns does a pretty good job off the bat, explaining he’s no Jason Bourne: “…I’m most comfortable driving our 2013 Subaru Outback at posted speed limits and that, for me at least, the height of technological daring is when I can finally get the Roku remote to work at home,” he says in the premiere episode.
There’s also a practical aspect to the agency’s decision to go — sort of — public: recruitment. Burns explains that the agency takes all kinds of people to make it work, and he hopes the podcast could help boost diversity within the CIA’s ranks.
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