Neda Semnani is a full-time columnist for CQ Roll Call‘s “Heard on the Hill.” Yet there she was last night with a piece about Craigslist sex ads published on BuzzFeed. Was she changing jobs?

Nope. Just working her ass off.

“You know how journalism is today,” she told FishbowlDC when we asked what was going on. “Its all a bit of a hustle, get the stories reported, written and published.”

More and more often reporters are working full-time one place and serving as contributors elsewhere (as I do here at FBDC while working at The Blaze). In many cases, they juggle between publications or they contract with a cable news outlet to serve as on-air commentators.

“It is definitely a challenge to write everyday for my job, freelance and do my own stuff,” Semnani said, “but I feel like I’m still making my bones in this business and this is all trial by fire. If this schedule is what it takes to do it, then that’s just the way it is right now.” Read more

Eagle Publishing, parent company of Human Events, hosted its biennial Congressional Open House champagne celebration last night to welcome the 113th Congress (the Republican members at least).

Unfortunately, the party comes just a week after massive layoffs and the closure of Human Events‘ print product.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich attended with his wife Callista. Asked about Human Events, he said he was “very sad because it was historically a remarkable institution that had a big impact on American history going all the way back to 1944.” He added: “But I also recognize that we live in an age where you’re The Nation magazine or you’re Newsweek or a whole range of institutions — that the pressures of traditional print publication are enormous. And I think that Eagle had to take a serious look at reality in that sense.”

Regarding Conservative Political Action Conference organizers excluding New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) as a speaker at their event next week, while inviting Donald Trump, Gingrich said… Read more

It’s Fish Poll time.

When WaPo‘s Bob Woodward, a guy who has figured out how to bring out the toddler in Democrats and Republicans, claimed on Wednesday that he was threatened by the White House, a media debate started over what exactly constitutes a “threat.”

After Woodward said this week that it was the Obama administration which came up with the sequester idea, a White House official (Gene Sperling, Director of the White House Economic Council) emailed Woodward to say he’d “regret staking out that claim.”

In a subsequent interview with Politico, Woodward maintained that it was indeed a threat. “Come on,” he said. “I think if Obama himself saw the way they’re dealing with some of this, he would say, ‘Whoa, we don’t tell any reporter ‘you’re going to regret challenging us.’”

Some sided with Woodward. Others said the “regret” line was nothing, similar to telling someone he’d be proven wrong in time… Read more

Every now and again a conservative publication pops up to announce a new effort to push its own original reporting. RedState is the latest.

“Conservatives are trying so hard to highlight controversies, no matter how trivial, we have forgotten the basics of reporting,” RedState Editor Erick Erickson wrote today in a morning news letter. He later said, “Conservatives are spending a lot more time trying to find things to be outraged over than reporting the news and basic facts online from a conservative perspective.”

Included in the letter was a call for “conservative,” “pro-life” reporters who live in Washington, D.C., and are interested in working at RedState.

It’s not as though RedState is the first to undertake original reporting… Read more

Quotes of the Day

Burying the lead

“Magistrate in Pistorius case really knows how to bury the lead. He’s been reading back the case for more than 1/2 hr now w/o ruling on bail.” — Jon Belmont, AP Radio News.

Travel Bitches

“Nothing like starting off the day with a 4 am wake up for a 6 am flight.” — WaPo‘s Karen Tumulty.

“Instead of “quiet car” Amtrak should have one where everyone who screams on their phones all the way from DC to NY sits together.” — MSNBC “Daily Rundown” Executive Producer Brooke Brower.

“Longest Circulator ride of. My. Life.” — MetroWeekly‘s Justin Snow.

“Seatmate warns: ‘I didn’t sleep last night, so I may doze on your shoulder.’ #StrangerDanger” — Erica Elliot, the avid travel tweeter who is also the Communications Director for the Major Whip of the House, Kevin McCarthy.

Ouch and more ouch!

“@ErikWemple Looking forward to your next piece when you ask the Obama campaign which Politico and WaPo stories helped them the most.” — The Daily Caller‘s Alex Pappas to WaPo‘s Erik Wemple for this story, in which he takes Breitbart.com and The Daily Caller and lumps them together into a story on shoddy conservative media reporting. Shockingly (and yes, we’re being sarcastic), no one from either publication would speak to the Erik Wemple Blog for his story. Before he began writing for WaPo, Wemple indicated that he would not be covering WaPo. He has broken this declaration a few times, but has mostly stuck with it.

Politico Playbook Publish Time: 9:39 a.m.

New D.C. slang: “the metch” 

“Today in IMing: a friend refers to Metro as ‘the metch’ which is not shorter than ‘metro’ but is more fun to say I guess.” — TPM‘s Evan McMorris-Santoro.

Moving woes

“It was a huge mistake to think that I could install my internet by myself.” — BuzzFeed‘s Rosie Gray, who recently moved to Washington from New York.

Bon Voyage!

“Thank you so much everyone for your kind notes. Psyched to head to Beijing but sad to be leaving such amazing friends & colleagues in DC.” — WaPo‘s Felicia Sonmez. We inquired what Sonmez was up to in Bejing. She replied, “Today is my last day at the Post. I am planning to move to Beijing in the next few months and study Chinese, and then find a reporting job there.” All the best to Sonmez on her new adventure.

Self-Appointed Media Critics

• “Local news doing a fabulous job with storm coverage. Too bad they suck at covering most everything else.” — Conservative radio host and gun enthusiast Dana Loesch.

• “Every year National Journal’s ratings of conservatives and liberals come out I’m reminded of just how stupid National Journal can be.” — FNC and RedState‘s Erick Erickson.

Senate gets new rail to protect clock from reporters chasing senators (a joke, sort of, of course)…

Read more

The annual Fashion For Paws benefit is two months away and Joe Guerriero, publisher of Human Events, really wants people to attend. Not for him, but for his wife, who will be primping and prepping the dogs backstage.

“I never do this type of stuff, but as many of you know, my wife Jenn is an avid dog lover and dog trainer,” Guerriero wrote this morning in an email blast to a handful of media types, including FishbowlDC. “Last night she strong-armed me into reaching out to some folks I know in hopes there might be some dog lovers among you.”

Later in the email Guerriero urges recipients and their friends to purchase tickets to the event and explains that until last year, he wasn’t aware “that the show brought out a veritable ‘who’s who’ D.C. crowd.”

Noteworthy names CCd on the email include… Read more

CNN’s John King, long thought to be on the outs with the network after “John King USA” went belly up and personal issues marred internal relations, has had his contract renewed. In the game of CNN Survivor, under the new regime of President Jeff Zucker, King is safe.

Others  may not be as fortunate. Read more

Quotes of the Day

BuzzFeed’s Chris Geidner shows off  his new hoodie.

Important Reminder

“Please everyone, don’t forget to tweet pictures of yourselves with other people we recognize in the Green Room.” — NYT‘s Mark Leibovich.

Morning Bloopers: “Back at work and feeling much better after a nasty virus. But I did just call the winning team the Raisins. More coffee and aspirin, please.” — Jon Belmont, AP radio news.

Oversharing Sherri 

“Jeffrey climbs n2 bed w me & says “Mommy I want 2 talk 2 you 2 make you feel better but you have 2 turn around and cough the other way okay.” — ABC “The View’s” Sherri Shepherd.

Journo prepares to pig out

“Presumptively disgusted at how much food I’m gonna eat tomorrow.” — Dylan Scott, staff writer for Governing, prior to Super Bowl Sunday.

Huh?

“I will be on MSNBC to talk about contraception at 2:15.” — Politico‘s James Hohmann in a grandiose brag over the weekend.

Speaking of contraception…

“Bob Menendez could learn a lesson.” — FNC Contributor Erick Erickson, linking to a sex scandal story about Nebraska’s Lieutenant Gov. in which the politician resigns.

Politico Playbook publish time: 9:03 a.m.

Thrush has seen a lot of gunshot wounds

“20 people ask if I shoot skeet. Nope. Funny no one asked if I’ve seen someone with a gunshot wound. I have — a bunch. How about u guys?” — Politico White House Correspondent Glenn Thrush.

Journo harps on NYT over correction.

“Quite the correction, @nytimes: “It was a shotgun, not a rifle.” Hint: Get the basics right.” — Justin Green, Editor of David Frum‘s blog.

Roland lays out the rules

“Your always drunk cousin will officially begin rehab today. He gets no taste of the brown liquor or even a wine cooler! #RolandsRules” — CNN Contributor, Tom Joyner Show and Washington Watch’s Roland Martin on Super Bowl Sunday.

Radio correspondent prepares for work by opening Victoria’s Secret emails? Read more

Quotes of the Day

“You can suck my ass.” — E!’s Chelsea Handler to CNN’s Piers Morgan last night after he suggested she wasn’t a very good interviewer and saying, “I can help you.”

Uh oh.

“Unusually high number of critical replies to my column today from folks who haven’t read/understood it. Maybe my fault.” — NationalReviewOnline‘s Jonah Goldberg.

Reporter encounters stinky train

“A @wmata train filled w/ wet sheep would smell less like wet sheep than one filled with drenched people in suits.” — Dave Levinthal, senior political reporter for Center for Public Integrity.

Columnist gives props to Stewart for interviewing skills

“Points to Jon Stewart for being tenacious in his questioning of Al Gore about Al Jazeera.” — Politico‘s Roger Simon.

Editor blames mullet hairdo

“It’s always the people with mullets who break out the checkbook at the grocery store.” — Fox News Contributor and RedState‘s Erick Erickson.

Journo mixes up days of week

“Informed sources tell me that today is in fact Wednesday. Everything else about the last tweet was right though.” — National Journal‘s Scott Bland, who had written, “On Tues, Patrick Murphy appeared in a House Maj PAC video. On Thurs, he sent a fundraising email deploring the Citizens United ruling #FL18.”

Unimportant Q to Ponder: “There’s your friend. You guys speaking these days?” Anonymous journalist to FBDC last night at The New Republic launch party glancing toward Slate‘s Dave Weigel at the other end of the frigid room. More on the party coming up…

Politico Playbook publish time: 6:51 a.m. Morning Oopsy: While Playbook’s author screams loudly in his first item that he was “exclusively” reporting the upcoming Gridiron dinner speakers, the news of Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar being among the speakers was reported three weeks ago. Gov. Bobby Jindal as the GOP speaker was new. A special Happy Birthday to Politico‘s media writer Dylan Byers, whose birthday was exclusively reported in Playbook this morning. We’re even giving him these special chocolates.

 Senator brushes off reporter

“Tried to speak to Sen. John Kerry after his farewell speech but he wouldn’t let me finish the question.” — The Daily Caller‘s ambush video reporter Nicholas Ballasy.

Freelancer regrets uncontrollable tweeting… Read more

On Tuesday we broke the news that CNN Contributors James Carville, Mary Matalin and RedState‘s Fox News-bound Erick Erickson were parting ways with the network under the direction of the new sheriff Jeff Zucker.

But who’s next?

We’re hearing that CNN may look at parting ways with Contributors Donna Brazile and Roland Martin, as they appear to have been slowly replaced by pundits who are known as their “black replacements”: civil rights activist Van Jones, NYT‘s Charles Blow and Democratic Strategist Cornell Belcher. CNN avoided using Brazile and Martin during its Iaugural coverage; ABC took advantage of  Brazile’s expertise in theirs.

Should the calls come down, Brazile likely wouldn’t be too shell-shocked. She’s already got a sweet gig with ABC. Martin, on the other hand, has his “Washington Watch” program on TV One and is a senior analyst for the Tom Joyner radio show. The call would allow him to do what his loud and loyal Twitter following has been clamoring for him to do, which is to be able to appear on MSNBC and Fox News, outlets forbidden to him while he has a contractual agreement with CNN. Martin’s contract with the network is up in early February.