Dead Drop: September 10

IN CASE YOU HAVEN’T HEARD:  The 20^th anniversary of 9/11 is upon us.  For the past month or so, we have been telling you about the myriad of documentaries streaming here and there.  But that didn’t begin to touch all the traditional network news coverage. To get a glimpse of the near wall-to-wall coverage, check out this list from AdWeek.. Some of these programs may have aired by the time you read this – but fear not – there are enough coming to keep you busy until the 25^th anniversary. Cipher Brief readers know a lot about 9/11 and its aftermath.  If you spot coverage that really gets things right (or wrong) drop us a note.

COURAGEOUS CIA TEAM PROFILED: No, we’re not talking about the “Jawbreaker” team that was the first team into Afghanistan just days after 9/11.  In this case, we mean the CIA social media team that allowed a reporter from Politico to visit their Langley offices and explore what they do and why.  Unlike Jawbreaker, the social media team has suffered lots of wounds (some of them self-inflicted.) They have been mocked (including from time-to-time by The Dead Drop) for being a tad too “woke.” It took guts to invite in the media to make their case but as CIA spokesperson Sara Lichterman put it, “One of the reasons that we’re on social media is if we’re not talking about ourselves, other people will still be and then there’s a vacuum.” Well said.