HBO’s The Wire and its Portrayal of Baltimore Politics, Schools, and the Judicial System in Season 4: Was it Accurate then and Does it Stand the Test of Time?

In my Steinmetz oral presentation, I will be presenting my research and findings from my thesis. My thesis consisted of a content analysis of HBO’s fourth season of The Wire. I will also present my process of conducting various interviews to assess the level of accuracy in the show’s portrayal of two major topics discussed throughout the season: Witness protection and police informant harassment. I will present my findings from the five interviews I conducted with professionals who work in the criminal justice system. Then I will present my own conclusions about the show’s continued importance and relevance in the age of social and political activism in 2020 and 2021. Finally, I will touch on the suggestions I wrote about in my thesis for future researchers who aim to gauge the impact The Wire can have on the general public.