Balance of common goals and inherent tensions between the FBI and the media

FBI Director Robert Mueller spoke today at the National Press Club Luncheon on the common goals and responsibilities of both the press and the media to serve the public interest and to seek the truth. He said there is an inherent tension between the government and the media, but that this results in a free society. He said to be successful the FBI needs to be transparent, and that scrutiny from Congress, the public, and the press improves the FBI’s ability to protect the people, and promotes trust in the bureau.

Mueller said the media can “cast a wider net” into the public than the FBI, and provided examples of times the media and FBI working together. He said the media played a large role in crafting the image of the FBI, and that through the Top Ten Most Wanted program the media and public have helped capture over 450 criminals. He also said attention from the press on mortgage and internet frauds, as well as child predators, helps protect the general public.

Mueller also addressed other aspects of the FBI besides its relationship with the media. He said the roles of the FBI have changed in recent years due to globalization, technology, and never-ending news. He said though technology and threats change, the basic goal of serving the public remains the same. He said the FBI is working to keep up with technology, and is also creating outreach programs with Muslim communities to work together to prevent terrorist attacks. He said criminals and terrorists are using the same technology as the U.S., but for their own advantage, and that it is hard to prevent communication between terrorist organizations when such a broad and open internet exists.

Mueller said case loads in mortgage fraud have grown recently, and he speculates they will continue to rise. He also described a shift in institutional attitudes and cooperation in the intelligence community. He said the FBI and the CIA understand the need to exchange information between the two organizations to protect the public. Finally, Mueller said he became director of the FBI one week before Sept. 11, and that the attacks changed his perception of what needed to be done in the FBI. He said the bureau had to make difficult decisions at the time without all the information of who was responsible, and that their focus shifted toward preventing attacks rather than investigating events after they had occurred.