Transcript: Michelle Madigan’s run from Defcon
By David Cassel
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According to one report, she “shoved aside” a volunteer working the event “and dashed from the room as the mob called for her to be booted from the premises.” Dateline’s Michelle Madigan was apparently caught undercover at the Defcon security convention in Las Vegas. Here’s a transcript and video of what happened next.
Hackers take their privacy seriously. Defcon staff had already begun broadcasting Madigan’s picture as a warning before each presentation, according to Wired News – but by Saturday they’d finally lured the reporter into a large auditorium. After Defcon’s founder, Jeff Moss, announced her presence, she drew boos and hisses. And though Madigan fled the auditorium and headed for her car — a throng of the young convention-goers followed her.
“We don’t mean you any harm…” Moss warned from the podium. “It’s just that we want to know if we’re talking to the press. That’s the purpose of the press pass. If you’d like to wear a press pass you’re welcome back. Otherwise, please go home!”
And then in a startling reversal of the usual roles, the “ambush” news producer became a target, with her walk of shame captured by amateur videographers. Within hours they’d uploaded their various footage to YouTube — capturing forever the catcalls and heckling she endured…
Dateline has been issuing only one comment on the incident — that they won’t comment about how their stories get created. But as blogger Xeni Jardin joked, the first rule of any exploit is: don’t get caught.
Below are two amateur videos — along with some screen captures, and (best of all) a transcript of all the heckling that took place in the parking lot.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCvmkxO5hoQ[/youtube]
“Did you catch a predator?”
“Or did we catch one?”
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“I think we did.”
“No no no. It’s catch an identity thief.”
(Mimicking) “They’re making fun of me and they’re taking pictures! I don’t like it.”
(Taking her picture) “This is for all those helpless predators.”
“Do you have any comments?”
“Can you just say what your name is?”
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“Can I have your badge?”
“Wow, you must feel like Lindsay Lohan right now.”
“I don’t know — Lindsay Lohan’s pretty smart.”
“You seem kind of upset.”
“Can I have your badge?”
“I don’t understand what the problem is. I mean, you chose a life in front of the camera.”
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“At least smile!”
“Wait! We just want to ask you some questions!”
“Smile for the camera!”
“We just want to ask some questions!”
“Don’t run!”
“We don’t bite.”
“I do.”
“Excuse me miss! Have you ever been on 60 Minutes?”
“Go get ‘em, Lumpy!”
“Don’t let the door hit ya where the dog shoulda bit ya!”
“Is this a rental?”
“Thanks for playing!”
“To Catch a Reporter.”
“Come back next year!”
(Crowd, in unison) “Bye! Bye! Bye! Bye!”
“Good game!”
(Laughter as she makes a wrong turn….)
“Give our love to the editors!”
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQcmWHwsYUU[/youtube]
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August 4th, 2007
That is so wrong. They should not have harassed that poor woman like that! Had I been there, I would have defended her with my crowbar!
August 5th, 2007
Well, she did break the rules of the conference and she was secretly filming them, without getting the required press pass.
It’s somewhat fitting that the tables were turned on her.
August 5th, 2007
NBC = [Nothing But Cranks], hahahaha. It wasn’t that long ago they tried to make news with their inept dateline cranks at a NASCAR race. Dressed up in clownish Arab clothing they were expecting to be beat up by the bubba beer drinking crowds, but where given VIP treatment and free beer good old southern hospitality. These clueless hacks live in a disconnected realm of their own making and haven’t an ink blotters chance in hell of ever knowing the difference. NBC has lost its direction instead of reporting NEWS they have tried to make NEWS hahahaha the fools are at the bottom of the slim pit and that’s NEWS, fodder for the rest of the media. Keep up the buffoonery NBC we need to see the slime pit of reporting brought out into the open more often. You have become the rag of journalism and your rag is so filthy you can’t wipe yourself clean.
August 5th, 2007
Now everyone should just be compassionate toward this integrity-challenged “journalist”.
As a matter of fact you should all call her in support either at her office at 30 Rock:
212-664-6615, if you get forwarded to the operater, ask for Michelle or her employee SSO number 206052371
Or her cell:917-XXX-XXXX [Deleted by editor for privacy reasons]
email:
michelle.madigan@nbcuni.com
She deserves a lot of support!
August 6th, 2007
heh, I’m the one asking for the badge. Anyways I have my video, it’s not on YouTube yet, but you can download it at http://www.haxbyjaku.com/reporter.hd.mov (250MB)
August 7th, 2007
Man that was awesome. It’s funny how the “journalists” do this to others on a daily basis and don’t think anything about it, but she didn’t seem to happy when she was on the other side of things. Maybe, just maybe, she will think twice before treating others this way…. now that she has first hand experience! Ha ha!
August 7th, 2007
The end doesn’t justify the means. If Woodward and Bernstein used their tactics where do you think they would be? Where would America be? She has more in common Nixon ,bush, dumsfeld ect. Than the greats of her former profession. Credibility and reputation are everything, and she has none.
August 9th, 2007
She’s kinda hot, you know…imma have to be “comPASSIONate” and “support” her….altho she did violate Defcon rules…maybe a dip in the pool is what she needed :p
August 16th, 2007
Michelle Madigan should be fucked in the ass! Not because of what she did, but because it would be FUN!
April 21st, 2008
Wow; these losers are really giving nerds a bad name. Please people, don’t judge all nerds by the actions of these few. There were plenty of geeks who stayed behind rather than running out there like this pathetic bunch.