Johnson was a news anchor and reporter for WUSA9 TV in Washington, DC from 1976 through 2019, covering urban affairs and politics. He was a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and was voted into their Hall of Fame. Other honors included a Communication Award of Excellence from the Capitol Press Club, and the Governors Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Johnson was the author of two books: Heart to Heart (2009), a memoir that also told the stories of eleven other survivors of heart attacks, and All or Nothing: The Victor Page Story (2012).