Throughout ABC’s political drama “Scandal,” the second season of which ended Thursday, it’s been apparent that the writers often have little to no idea how the news media based in D.C. actually works.

In one episode you have a high-profile news anchor sitting on a story that involves a president refusing to be seen until all of his hair grows back on his newly-bald head. That would never happen. Bald or not, the story would fly.

In another episode, the news media is seen waiting for Olivia Pope, the show’s main character, outside her client’s home. Pope waits until the top of the hour when all the TV reporters need to go live. She breezily slips past them. Where were the print reporters and bloggers who would also have been waiting? Apparently forgotten about by the “Scandal” writers. Even the TV reporters would have people who would approach Pope even if they couldn’t during their live shots.

But in the finale, the show finally gets it right.

Pope, who has been able to keep her affair with the married President FitzGerald Grant a secret this whole time, is shown in the final scene walking through her apartment building lobby with a satisfied smile on her face before setting out on a run outdoors. She had just quashed the biggest scandal of the season, one that would have likely ended in the impeachment of the president.

As Pope throws open the doors she’s greeted by… Read more

You know it’s spring in D.C. when BuzzFeed contributor Michael Hastings makes a TV appearance with an extra undone button on his plaid shirt, showing off just the right amount of chest hair.

Hastings usually does his TV hits with all but the top-most button fastened. Sometimes he wears a tie. Other times he wears a hoodie and T-shirt. But until his Wednesday night hit on Current TV, he hasn’t been seen going all ’70s-porn-star, letting that bushel on his chest run wild and free.

Watch Hastings’ segment here.

(A sprinkling of things we think you ought to know)

AP-DOJ conflict doesn’t matter to Media Matters– Media Matters for America, the progressive watchdog dedicated to discrediting conservative media, has no coverage of the Associated Press-Justice Department fiasco that blew up Monday night.

A search of MMFA‘s website for “Associated Press,” “AP” and “Gary Pruitt” produce no results related to the conflict, in which the Justice Department secretly seized phone records of some of AP’s staffers. Pruit is the AP‘s president. He called the ordeal “a serious interference with AP’s constitutional rights to gather and report the news.”

Republicans in Congress, the conservative media and even mainstream media have all jumped on the story, calling it an example of government overreach. While MMFA is an openly progressive non-profit, the organization generally peddles along with the news cycle, posting stories and sending out email blasts that either rebut the conservative side or provide more context meant to render the story a wash.

We’ve requested comment from MMFA‘s Sr. Director of Communications Jess Levin.

On the other end of things, conservative media watcher NewsBusters, has covered the story.

Greta wonders if you ever feel like a caged feline– FNC’s Greta Van Susteren asked the rambunctious readers of her Gretawire blog this morning, “Do you ever feel like this baby tiger?” In her blog post was a video of what actually looks like a vicious tiger sitting in a glass cage, snarling directly at the camera. “Do you know someone else who currently feels like this baby tiger?” her post continues. One reader replied in the comments section: “Do not call, do not text me first thing in the morning before my first cup of coffee LOL…REALLY!” News reports as of late have Van Susteren possibly moving out of her 10 p.m. time slot.

How to NOT make it about me– ABC’s Robin Roberts, co-anchor of Good Morning America, had a well-publicized battle with breast cancer and subsequent bone marrow transplant over the last few years. GMA seemed to run story after story about her recovery. Even so, Roberts didn’t pounce on the opportunity to make actress Angelina Jolie‘s double mastectomy about herself at all. “Terrific Tuesday at GMA,” she tweeted this morning. “We will discuss Angelina Jolie’s decision to have a double mastectomy. She wrote a moving OP-ED in the NY Times.” And that was it.

(A Sprinkling of Things we Think you Ought to Know…)

Crawford Commemorates Mother’s Day – To celebrate Mother’s Day, Craig Crawford is giving his readers the chance to vote for “Favorite TV Mom.” Crawford has an extensive list of 15 different TV Moms. Some are timeless, like Edith Bunker from All in the Family and Marion Cunningham from “Happy Days.” Others are a little less conventional, like Marge Simpson and Nancy Botwin from “Weeds.” Vote now at www.craigcrawford.com.

Cicada Nation – Yes, the cicadas are coming. Yes, people will freak out. No, it’s not the end of the world. Just don’t mention that to Mother Jones, which lists their story on the political history of cicadas as the “Top Story” in their Political Mojo newsletter. While everyone seems to be talking cicadas these days, it’s hardly a POLITICAL news item.

Major Garrett Continues to Battle Illness – Earlier this week, CBS’s Chief White House Correspondent Major Garrett announced on Twitter that he was feeling a little under the weather. Even Twitchy noticed.

Tweeps, was off the air & off the grid yesterday & will be for a few days. I need to wrestle this case of double pneumonia to the ground.

— Major Garrett(@MajorCBS) May 7, 2013

Double pneumonia sounds pretty hardcore. Since it’s been a few days, we reached out to Garrett, who tells FBDC, “I’m on the mend. I’m taking more drugs than Elvis but doing fewer shows. I also have a sinus infection with the reach and aggression of the 19th century British Navy. Between the twin maladies, I feel older than 50 and slightly younger than Yoda.” Rest up, Major. And if you just read this, you might want to Lysol your computer. Just to be safe.

Sasha Horne, a 28-year-old Washington, D.C.-based journalist who most recently covered technology and trends for the RIA Novosti news agency, will appear on ABC’s murder mystery summer series “Whodunnit?”

According to a release,”Whodunnit?” is a series that puts 13 amateur sleuths’ skills to the test in a mystery reality competition. Players will use crime scene techniques to uncover evidence in a series of puzzling murders and ultimately reveal who among them is the killer. Players will form alliances, while others will choose to go it alone to win the grand prize. Each week players must solve a new crime to advance in the game. Failure to solve the crime will lead to a player’s demise, until only three are left. In the final episode, one player will unmask the killer and take home the $250,000 prize.

Sasha got her start in news with the help of NBC4 Anchor Angie Goff. “Sasha Horne was my first intern and she left some HUGE shoes to fill,” Angie wrote in a blog post. “I was so proud of her.”

Sasha says the internship wasn’t easy, including working abominable hours of 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. Monday through Friday. “Keep in mind at that time I was still working full time from 9-5 and I had grad school three evenings a week,” she wrote in a post. “The deadlines were real. As an intern I helped research and produce Angie’s daily morning segment as well as helping to respond to the SLEW of RSVP’s she’d receive for various community events. Anyone who knows Angie knows how much giving back is important to her, so managing her calendar was quite the task! Did I make mistakes, yes. Was it hard? You bet! But that’s all a part of learning and growing.”

After the internship, Sasha moved on to help produce at CNN and had an on-air gig in North Carolina. She also made appearances on TV and radio and covered politics in Atlanta.

The series premiers on June 22 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

Who are the 13 competitors Sasha will compete against? Read more

One man’s cut is another man’s dip is another man’s “Sorry, I’m not hearing anything.”

On Monday NYT‘s Brian Stelter reported on a bit from an upcoming book by Bloomberg View‘s Jonathan Alter. The part in question alleges that just days before the 2012 presidential election, nearly two months after terrorist attacks on a U.S. consulate in Libya, FNC CEO Roger Ailes personally called one of his channel’s producers and ordered that Geraldo Rivera‘s mic be cut.

In the segment in which Rivera appeared, he criticized his colleague Eric Bolling for what he said was politicizing the attack. As the segment droned on for seven minutes, Ailes ordered the muzzling of Rivera, according to Alter’s book.

Stelter wrote that he sought comment from FNC, which never returned his request (not unusual for the channel’s illustriously choosy PR department). Instead, a spokesperson for FNC went to Mediaite and gave them their side: It was that FNC Executive Vice President of Programming Bill Shine, who called up the producer and ordered not Rivera’s mic be cut, but that the show’s hosts move on to another, less emotionally-charged subject. (The next segment was on immigration, not at all an polarizing topic).

Rivera denied Alter’s account in a tweet. Alter replied, asking why Rivera’s “office” didn’t deny the claim when he called to ask about it. “Specifically to Jonathan Alter, I like you mate,” Rivera countered, “but you never spoke with me about Benghazi and you never asked if Roger Ailes cut my mic.”

Mediaite‘s Andrew Kirell posted the full video from the segment in question, noting that “At no point during the segment is Rivera inaudible.”

Oliver Willis over at the anti-FNC Media Matters disagreed. He also posted the full video, claiming to hear “a change in Rivera’s microphone volume.”

What you can take away from watching and listening to either clip… Read more

WaPo‘s Jonathan Capehart, a man who rarely makes an appearance without being in full business attire, loosened up his tie Tuesday. In fact, he didn’t wear one at all, showing off some of his chest.

On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Capehart joined the show by satellite from Miami. He was on to talk about Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who spoke at a tea party rally in his home state and referred to some of his Republican Senate colleagues as “squishes.” Leading the discussion was an op-ed by Capehart’s colleague Jennifer Rubin that said Cruz should quit being “a jerk.”

Capehart remarked, “If there’s bipartisan agreement on Capitol Hill it’s that Senator Cruz is a bit of a jerk. Well, maybe not a bit of a jerk. He is a jerk. Democrats don’t like him and Republicans can’t stand him.”

Asked about his tieless appearance by email, Capehart said, “LOL. It was the last morning of my nerd prom-escape vacation.” He added: I usually travel with a spare shirt and tie just in case. This time I thought, ‘Oh, Capehart, let go. Nothing will happen in the short time you’re away.’ So I blame Jason Collins for my state of undress this morning.”

While the Radio/TV Correspondents Dinner is typically a quieter affair than the White House Correspondents Dinner, they’ve stepped up their game this year. The event, which takes place June 5th at the National Building Museum, will be catered by celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse. The RTCA Dinner has traditionally been held in the Washington Convention Center in past years, so it appears they are making an attempt to evolve and reclaim some of the prestige that the WHCD is known for. Let’s hope not too much.

From the release: “All guests will be encouraged to grab their white handkerchiefs, beads, masks and parasols that will be on every table and join in as they swing through the crowd.” They are expecting some 1500 guests — journalists, newsmakers and lawmakers.

Traditional New Orlean’s jazz pianist, Washington DC native and  longtime New Orleans resident John Royen will entertain. They’ll also crown a King or Queen of the Dinner. They’ll be presented with a cape, crown and Jester Staff and asked to lead the crowd to the after-party at the conclusion of the night. We have no idea what this could mean, but they’ll have two Jesters on hand creating mischief throughout the dinner.

The theme will be “Laissez les bons temps rouler ” – Let the Good Times Roll – New Orleans style.” It will feature dancing, masks, beads, although hopefully, no one will have to take their top off to obtain them.

Brian Stelter, who launched TVNewser almost 10 years ago, is now a published author. “Top of the Morning,” out today, lays bare a tumultuous year for network morning news shows which saw one anchor pack her bags, another face a serious health issue, a ratings leader fall — and lose a quarter of its audience — and an entirely new show launch.

In his first interview for the book, Stelter tells us about the secrecy behind “Top of the Morning,” the access he got, and what he thinks about being called Matt Lauer‘s nemesis.

• Part II, tomorrow: What happens when Brian Stelter Tweets something he shouldn’t?

For more videos, check out our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter: @mediabistroTV

MediabistroTV’s Kevin Eck lands an interview with talk show host Jerry Springer today on his “first big break” in life.

“In a break with tradition, he came to our venerable office (exactly on time and with no entourage in tow) and we shot him in our brand new Longfellow Conference Room!” boasts MediabistroTV producer Weston Almond.

“Jerry’s real life persona as an unassuming, very bright, likeable man in a rumpled rain coat, is a stark contrast to his notorious alter ego who went from working with Bobby Kennedy as a lawyer to being an island of calm in a sea of Klansmen beating the hell out of each other on the stage of the most popular talk show in America.”

Springer’s words of wisdom:

1. “I guess if you really want to get your own talk show, first be a mayor.”

2. “I don’t have any talent. I’m not saying that disingenuously. That’s the truth. I keep saying I think I’m a nice guy and I’m reasonably bright. I don’t have any particular talent. No one would have picked me out of a line and said this guy is going to be in show biz. I just got lucky.”

3. “I’m convinced most of life is luck.”

4. “If you really work hard and be good at what you’re doing someone will notice and you’ll have another opportunity. You can’t map out your life. …Life just happens. The best you can be is prepared by being really good at what you do.”