"News Night" anchor Will McAvoy returns to work 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.
An anonymous source contacts Charlie and provides advance details on an imminent story of national importance. When news breaks that the President will be making a televised speech that night, the 2.0 staff cuts short its one-year (and one week) anniversary party and rushed back to the newsroom amidst a flurry of speculation as to what exactly happened
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.
Will and the "News Night" staff are questioned by their lawyer about a story they've aired that's become a network crisis. An on-air remark by Will has him pulled from 9/11 anniversary coverage. Jim volunteers to cover for an embed reporter on the Romney campaign and Neal investigates the beginnings of Occupy Wall Street.
A tip on a story that will ultimately cripple the network starts to become more real. Mackenzie and Sloan continue to push Will on drones as Don urges Will to advocate for Troy Davis. Maggie is un-friended by her roommate, but gets the assignment she's been begging for. Neal gets arrested on Wall Street.
Will continues his mission to civilize by telling Nina Howard the truth. A new witness to the Genoa story emerges on Twitter, and in New Hampshire, Jim's efforts to have his questions answered continue to fall on deaf ears.
Maggie tries to convince Rebecca that she’s fine following her shattering trip to Africa with Gary. An Occupy Wall Street protester with a Black Op lead refuses to cooperate with Neal and Jerry after an on-air interview with Will goes poorly. Jim lands Hallie a one-on-one, but gets heat from Mac as a result.
Will is distracted during his telecast by a phone call and an unflattering Twitter post. Charlie gets a visit from a longtime friend at the Office of Naval Intelligence, who has knowledge of Operation Genoa. Sloan phases from humiliation to rage following a revenge posting. The newsroom traverses the slippery slope separating fact from fiction.
Mac and Charlie score a key witness, a retired Marine general, in their attempt to corroborate Jerry's Operation Genoa story. Will follows Nina's lead to soften his image by making an impromptu appearance on a morning talk show. Jim gets unexpected company during his reunion with Hallie, who's in town to cover a Romney rally.
Through depositions with the newsroom staff, Rebecca pieces together the events that led to ACN's fateful decision to go forward with Jerry's special report on Operation Genoa – as well as the post-air revelations that undermined its credibility. The repercussions threaten to ruin "News Night" while eclipsing breaking news during another 9/11 anniversary.
As Election Night 2012 winds down, Will and Charlie await a decision from Reese that may impact their future at ACN, and that of the entire senior staff. Sloan learns the identity of the anonymous winning bidder for her book. Don discusses a countersuit against Jerry with Rebecca. Neal turns to Hallie for help giving Mac a parting gift. Jim tries to make peace with Lisa, encouraging Maggie to do the same. Will has a revelation while Charlie is sharing his.
In the wake of Leona's refusal to accept the resignations of three top ACN talents, 'News Night' goes forward with its 2012 election coverage, featuring Will in the unlikely role of director of morale. Sloan is perturbed that her book was auctioned off with a forged signature, while Mac tasks Neal to fix a faulty Wikipedia page. Mindful that Charlie wants a screw-up-free evening, Jim weighs the cons of retracting a call he made too soon. The team deliberates whether to hold off on a story that might affect a tight Senate race.
In the wake of the Genoa debacle, Will, Mac and the News Night team decide to err on the side of caution in reporting a major breaking story. Neal is contacted by an anonymous source in possession of stolen government documents revealing how false press stories planted in newspapers spawned fatal riots in Kundu. Sloan looks to solve a takeover puzzle. Maggie is forced to pinch-hit for Elliot in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings.
With Rebecca again tasked with defending ACN in a possible lawsuit, Will tries to protect Neal from the fallout over the DOD leak. Charlie and Leona enter the fray of a hostile-takeover gambit involving Reese's half-siblings. Sloan fears Don may be guilty of cashing in on insider information. Maggie ponders the ethics of eavesdropping. Hallie pays a price for a late-night tweet.
Leona and Reece look to raise cash in order to salvage ACN and thwart Blair and Randy. Will gets a surprise at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. Charlie trades visions with her ACN suitor. Maggie's EPA scoop makes it to News Night. Sloan and Don try to keep their relationship a secret from a new HR veep.
Facing a court subpoena and possible incarceration for contempt, Will stands firm in refusing to reveal the source of the stolen DOD documents. As Charlie's disdain for Lucas grows, Sloan and Mac scramble to find a more acceptable 11th-hour buyer for ACN. Jim's relationship with Hallie is put to the test by her new job at Carnivore, a start-up website.
Incarcerated for contempt, Will refuses to reveal the name of Neal's government source. Appearing to embrace Pruit's mandate to capture younger viewers, Charlie orders a reluctant Don to track down principals in a sexual-abuse case at an elite college. Sloan voices her objection to a new digital site built by Neal's replacement, Bree. Stranded in a Moscow airport, Jim and Maggie look to land seats for a Cuban-bound plane, hoping to interview one of its high-profile passengers.
A sudden death leads Will and Mac to ponder the milestones that transformed the newsroom, and look ahead towards ACN’s uncertain future. Maggie lands a field-producer interview in Washington; Neal’s digital site is shut down for repairs; Leona offers sage advice to Pruit.
