In an act that, at best, receives the dubious distinction award, NBC Bay Area, posted a story and link on its website involving BART spokesman, Linton Johnson, and some private, compromising photos, (requisite penis shot included).Johnson caught the wrath of the "Anonymous" crowd, the protest group that has been leading the weekly demonstrations in SF over BART's selective cell-phone silencing policy.
It was Johnson that boasted BART was doing the right thing and said so through press releases and on various radio/TV talk shows. That instigated the Anonymous people to ask BART for Johnson's head.
That's really not the issue here.
What is the issue here is why NBC Bay Area, (and SF Weekly too), would publish the link? Does't doing that bring up severe ethical questions, not to mention. perhaps, ruining a guy's personal life in the process? (Johnson has taken a week off from his BART duties).
While the link has been pubbed on various internet sites, NBC Bay Area is the only local TV outlet to make light of the story.
UPDATE: 2: 37 PM:
Anonymous tells SF Weekly that the pictures were taken off Johnson's own public site.
Linton must have told KNTV to kiss is black ass when he left. But...
ReplyDeleteNo matter how you feel about Linton or BART, this was WAY out of bounds- and I think Linton is an arrogant PR prick who seems to always be in the middle of the story- a PR 101 no-no. They've effectively killed this mans career in any PR/media capacity with an affront that has NOTHING to do with the issue. It wasn't like he posted these pics but he'll have to pay for it. This, along with the taking down of Paypal and others and demanding that, "... the protests will continue until you disband the BART police force..." is domestic terrorism plain and simple and should be dealt with as we would any other terrorist organization. This is no longer Tommy in his mommas basement playing hacking games.
If they were hacked off his work computer-he asked for it. If it was private and his at home or away from the job..then thats a serious criminal invasion of privacy that is actually opposite of what I would think the protesters beleive in. The loss of privacy to big brother hacker.
ReplyDeleteWhere this really gets interesting is when you realize that Johnson used to work at KNTV! They screwed over a former colleague...
ReplyDeleteBased on news reports the pictures came from his public web site so he only has himself to blame. Does anybody know Linton's educational background etc? I can't find anything about that online. I did find out he makes close to $150k a year.
ReplyDeleteIf from his public web site, he's got serious judgement and career problems. Still, he's been targeted for doing his job as BART spokesperson. If they can do this to him, they can do damage to any of us any time they feel like it. It might not be "compromising" pics, but they can ruin your life in other ways, just by hacking private data. The Chinese know how to deal justice to people like this. There, the ultimate criminal penalty is not reserved just for murderers. JW
ReplyDeleteInteresting that the SFGate is not reporting on the pictures. Gil Gross will talk about the Linton Johnson issue at 3pm. WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT!
ReplyDeleteanother reason to like KRON 4...they only go after those looting Footlocker stores.
ReplyDeleteProviding a link to Johnson's Johnson is a no no. Shame on you KNTV!
ReplyDeletewait a darn minute...are ya sayin the Johnson showed his Johnson!!!?
ReplyDeleteNot cool KNTV.
ReplyDeleteLinton Johnson has done nothing illegal.. He's not ashamed to be gay or good-looking or hot. He isn't hiding. The anonymous cowards would do the same acts with each other..but with masks on.. Who are the cowards here? BTW..sfgate has the list of names of those arrested,including the anarchist from Portland with the explosives charge. Time to publish more pictures and information about them..to better understand their motivations, of course.
ReplyDeleteHave never understood why all these public agencies have to have high paid media spokespersons. Transit agencies, water departments, city administrations, police departments, fire departments, even Caltrans for specific projects. Can't the head of the agency or one of the highly paid minions stand up and say what the hell is going on, without paying some use-to-be tv personality big bucks to do the talking?
ReplyDeleteYesterday sfgate had the link to the SF Weekly story in its "around the web" section.
ReplyDeleteYou wonder why Bart would hire an obvious misfire of nature. His lisping and panting weren't enough, he had to pull it out for his Castro boys. This degenerate made his own bed, now he has to lie in it. Fire him. What happened to White guys with crew cuts & pocket protectors handling PR.? Can you imagine if we had some pofter doing the countdown at NASA during the Apollo era?
ReplyDeleteYou mean Johnson showed his Linton????
ReplyDeleteWhat arrogance..goodbye $150,000 per.
are you unaware that one of the most famous astronauts from this country ever is gay?
ReplyDeleteMaybe if Johnson hadn't threatened to withhold information from the news department they would have decided not to run the story? If he continues to play hard play ball with media outlets - it's going to get ugly
ReplyDeleteThe issue of posting the link aside, to suggest this isn't worth reporting at all is kind of silly. The SF media have been all over this BART/Anonymous feud for weeks and for good reason, it's causing major headaches for commuters.
ReplyDeleteNow this group, which initially was fighting over the killing of homeless man by BART police, has literally resorted to below-the-belt tactics. While the photos of the PR guy are damaging, I don't need to see them. To me, the story is about people using the Internet as a weapon to try and win at all costs. It's happening more and more these days and we should know about it, because it's not going to stop.
As a viewer, I would be more concerned that the "other" stations (or newspapers) didn't mention this in some form. Especially when they've had no problems posting explicit photos of other high-profile people in the past. Kinda makes you wonder whether these newsrooms didn't want to burn a bridge with BART's PR dept.
Johnson should not have threatened to with hold information from the news department - if he hadn't perhaps they would not have gone with the story.
ReplyDeletehe posted the pics himself - he was not hacked. he just has very poor judgement
ReplyDeleteConsidering the number of men and women who have served in the astronaut corps, it would be surprising if the one of whom you speak was the only one. So it is in every walk of life. Those who make homophobic comments such as one posted above tend to be people who are not at peace with their own sexuality. JW
ReplyDeleteHe should have withheld information of whats in his pants!...what a maroon.
ReplyDelete"Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteYou wonder why Bart would hire an obvious misfire of nature. His lisping and panting weren't enough, he had to pull it out for his Castro boys. This degenerate made his own bed, now he has to lie in it...Can you imagine if we had some pofter doing the countdown at NASA during the Apollo era?
August 25, 2011 5:24 PM"
WOW! Rich, I know your blog attracts some potty-mouth industry insiders, but this guy is seriously an a-hole bigot. "Poofer, degenerate, misfire, lisping & panting." Who is this neanderthal and why is he on here?
There have been no gay astronauts.
ReplyDeleteThe guy is a confirmed douche, but posting the pictures was still over the top. And frankly, I wish BART would block cell service regularly. Maybe then we wouldn't have to listen to people screaming into their phones all the damn time. While we're at it, block cell service at the movies, restaurants, concerts, bars...
ReplyDelete