My thesis seeks to explore how the British Intelligence Services seek to portray a particular image of themselves to the British public and how successful are they in this task? The Intelligence Services are something most people are aware of yet our understanding of them is limited due to the necessary secrecy which surrounds their work. However in a liberal democratic country, the Intelligence Services need public and governmental support for their work but public support can only occur through an understanding of them and trust that they are maintaining our national security whilst adhering to the law.

The project centres upon primary research to understand how the British Intelligence Services portray an image of themselves and the ways in which they achieve this, be it through the media, engagement with academia or fictitious portrayals.