an episode of pbs' "nova" titled "spy factory" reports that the film's portrayal of the nsa's capabilities are fiction: although the agency can intercept transmissions, connecting the dots is difficult. however, in 2001, then-nsa director gen. michael hayden, who was appointed to the position during the release of the film, told cnn's kyra phillips that "i made the judgment that we couldn't survive with the popular impression of this agency being formed by the last will smith movie." james risen wrote in his 2006 book "" that hayden "was appalled" by the film's depiction of the nsa, and sought to counter it with a pr campaign on behalf of the agency.