Dateline NBC 'mole' outed, booted at Defcon 15 (Dinosaur Media™ Humiliation)

InfoWorld ^ | August 03, 2007 | Robert McMillan, IDG News Service

[SteveMcKing]

In a story of betrayal worthy of an episode of Dateline NBC, undercover producer Michelle Madigan was exposed and forced out of the conference on Friday

Dateline NBC Producer Michelle Madigan was publicly outed at the Defcon security conference in Las Vegas Friday after show organizers were tipped off that she was trying to film show attendees with a hidden camera.
...
Madigan ran from the show after organizers publicly threatened to escort her from the event at the beginning of a 4 p.m. conference session by noted hacker HD Moore. "She literally kicked the door open," said "Priest," a show official who declined to be identified. "She made the mistake of running. Had she taken it like an adult, she would have been treated with kid gloves, treated with respect."
...
The Dateline NBC producer continued out to a nearby parking lot, surrounded by a small crowd of show attendees and media, talking briefly on her mobile phone and not saying anything to the gathering crowd.
...
Show organizers had been warning attendees all day of Madigan's presence and had repeatedly asked her if she would register as press, Priest said.
...
Show organizers believe that Madigan had been looking to talk to hackers and federal agents, possibly with the intention of drawing attention to the fact that federal agents participate in a show whose attendees are known to skirt the law. "My guess is that she wanted a splash piece along the lines of, 'We have a whole bunch of people who are criminals. We have federal agents here as well,'" Priest said.

[SteveMcKing]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCvmkxO5hoQ

"If you'd like to wear a press badge, you're welcome back. Otherwise please go home."

Dateline Mole Allegedly at DefCon with Hidden Camera -- Updated: Mole Caught on Tape

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My favorite line in the video:   "YOU MUST FEEL LIKE LINDSAY LOHAN RIGHT NOW."

[SteveMcKing]

ping (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)

[hsalaw]

I heard Rush say that “journalists” are in the “lowest-respected professions” category. Right down there with used car salesmen and probably lawyers (sigh).

[Constantine XIII]

OMG 1336+1 h@x!!!!one lim x=>0 (sin x)/x

[Constantine XIII]

Also, blonide, discussing computer security isn’t against the law.

Of course, she probably stands in awe of people who can use Excel, so this rant is probably wasted. :p

[ChessExpert]

Used care salesmen are MUCH better than journalists, IMO. Lawyers? Well, it depends. But to make a sweeping statement, lawyers are also better than journalists. I don’t mind the fact that journalists are dumb. But dumb, vain, and lacking in integrity is just too much for me to bear.

[SIDENET]

OWNED.

[hsalaw]

But to make a sweeping statement, lawyers are also better than journalists.

Thank you for those kind words.

[garbanzo]

A hacker conference is probably not the best place to try out your undercover-fu unless you know what you’re doing.

[Nonesuch]

I like Priest,he's a great guy (in the video he's the BIG guy in the Hawaiian shirt). And he has a history of making female reporters cry.

I first met Priest at DEFCON 7 where I witnessed him personally banning another reporter (Carolyn Meinel) from every attending another DEFCON.

Trust me, when Priest tells you to leave, you go.

[burzum]

No kidding. The reporters might be able to outsmart sexual predators and mechanics at Jiffy Lube, but they aren’t going to win that game at a hacker conference. Dateline should just go back to their standard method of reporting: making it up!

[llevrok]

I don’t see federal agents being at Defcon odd. How do you find hacking talent to break terrorist codes?

[spyone]

Journalist discraced for trying to make the news.

[Anti-Bubba182]

The Video was funny. A reporter gets chased for a change.

[OCCASparky]

PwN3d....WO0T!!!!

[ansel12]

Holy Cow, the last three or four minutes of that video was the best I’ve seen this year. What is the new term? Owned or Pawned or something?

That “reporter” will never forget this.

[pepsionice]

When you look at nightly news...doesn’t matter if its NBC or Fox or CBS or ABC...at least 30 percent of the news that night...is manufactured. Its gotten bad enough that I just hit the mute button and wait for a commercial to restore sound...which was the opposite intention of the mute button in the first place.

Personally, I’d like to see more of these producers sued in court and face some financial fines. That would be an enriching experience for these punks...who don’t measure up to any standard that we used to know about.

[Slings and Arrows]

Must-see video!

"We just want to ask you some quessssss-tions!"

[Shelayne]

ugh, I can’t believe I know this, but...

I believe you are looking for PWN3D! (like “owned” with a p)

[A_Tradition_Continues]

I liked the line “Excuse me Miss...but have you ever been on 60 Minutes?”