Popular "News Night" anchor Will McAvoy returns to work at a cable-news network after a public meltdown to find most of his staff has jumped ship, but new hires help steer the show when news of a catastrophe breaks in the spring of 2010.
MacKenzie takes charge of the revamped "News Night" and lobbies economist Sloan Sabbith to file a nightly financial report. Meanwhile, Jim takes responsibility for Maggie's mistake; Charlie puts a halt to Reese's meetings with Will; and a confidential breakup story is a secret no more.
Will's apology for the lack of integrity in newscasts sets off constant critiques of the Tea Party before the November 2010 midterm elections, but draws the ire of network executives and Atlantis World Media CEO, Leona Lansing. Meanwhile, Don confronts Elliot about his analytical skills; Jim helps Maggie during a panic attack; and Mac is unnerved by Will's endless parade of romantic conquests.
Will becomes tabloid fodder after a confrontation with a gossip columnist on New Year's Eve, which threatens to undermine his credibility on a current news investigation. Meanwhile, Don urges Maggie to set Jim up on a date with her roommate; Mac's boyfriend pitches a story about the government's inability to prosecute financial crimes; and Neal tries out his Bigfoot theory on anyone who will listen.
News of unrest in Wisconsin in February 2011 in response to the governor's call for budget cuts bubbles up during coverage of the ousting of President Mubarak in Egypt, and Neal finds someone who can provide updates from Cairo as the staff strive to give equal attention to both uprisings.
Sloan subs for Elliot during the Japanese nuclear crisis following the March 2011 earthquake, but her harsh questioning of a Tokyo power-company representative could damage her credibility. Meanwhile, Will has a bout of insomnia that leads him to therapy, and he learns a lesson about bullying after his rude behavior in an interview.
Charlie gets an anonymous tip about an important development that will be the subject of a televised speech by the president, prompting the "News Night" staff to switch gears from their one-year anniversary party back to the newsroom while wondering what the story could be.
The ratings for "News Night" plummet after it downplays a pair of sensational stories, and Will and Mac must find a way to lure back enough viewers to justify the network's quest to air a Republican debate. Meanwhile, Will considers writers for an all-access profile; Sloan is disappointed by the lack of coverage of an important financial story; and Charlie learns a National Security Agency whistle-blower's identity.
The "News Night" staff host a mock debate for two Republican Party officials; a power outage energizes Mac's thought process; Charlie evaluates an intelligence-agency insider's reliability; Lisa does an on-air interview; Neal poses as an Internet troll.
Mac is shaken by a potentially devastating revelation from gossip columnist Nina Howard. Meanwhile, Sloan mulls a new job opportunity; Neal's Internet alias could prevent a catastrophe; and Will, Mac, and Charlie confront Leona and Reese during a volatile lunch meeting.
