The Blackout, Pt. 1: Tragedy Porn

S1 E8: News Night's refusal to lead with a pair of sensational stories causes ratings to plummet--and forces Will and Mac to abandon their principles in order to lure back viewers and shore up the network's bid to land a Republican debate. Will auditions an unlikely scribe, Brian Brenner, to write an all-access profile; Sloan chafes over her lack of air time to report on a critical financial crisis; Charlie learns the identity of an NSA whistleblower; Neal pitches an internet sting.