On the heels of last night’s news that his ex-wife Marianne would be sitting down for a revealing (and damning) interview about him, GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich spoke with Today co-host Ann Curry Thursday morning.

In the world of the microscopic news cycle, a year is a mighty long time. Think “dog years” on steroids. Over the course of the past year, in thousands (around 7,500 ) of articles and millions (between 3 and 4 million) of words, Mediaite has covered the ups and downs of that whizzing, ricocheting media world. In case you lost track in that sea of information, we’ve compiled a list of 2011 Media Winners and Losers that we hope will be the start  of a conversation, not the end of one. Here, in no particular order, are Mediaite’s 2011 Media Winners and Losers.

Vice President Joe Biden is pretty well known for wearing his emotions on his sleeve. And while his frank and candid ways can sometimes get him in trouble, there are also times when he strikes a chord with an interviewer and his audience. Take for example his recent interview with Today show host Ann Curry, who traveled to Iraq with the Vice President, then followed with a moving discussion about the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our country.

NBC’s David Gregory backtracked on his comments about “grand wizards” in the Republican Party this morning. Earlier on The Today Show, Gregory had responded to a question from Ann Curry who referring to Herman Cain’s sexual harassment scandal, asked “does the party just wish he would go away?” “Well, there is no grand wizard in the party right now that can really force the issue,” Gregory responded.

Newt Gingrich appeared on the Today show Monday morning to discuss Herman Cain‘s candidacy and the swirling sexual harassment accusations levied against him. But the “one-on-one” interview turned into a wonderful piece of media bashing by Gingrich, who, apparently, didn’t feel like being baited into answering the typical, “How will you defeat Barack Obama?” line of questioning. When Ann Curry asked if unanswered questions about the allegations against Cain would hurt him as a nominee, Gingrich took control of the interview and blasted the media for blowing the stories out of proportion:

As part of our one-part series Project: In Vino, Mediaite set out to capture media elites, gathered to fête Hardball host Chris Matthews‘ Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero, in their alcohol-lubricated natural habitat, and maybe to drink some of it ourselves. With the aid of a hidden camera, I ventured to MSNBC’s book party Tuesday night to tear the lid off of this den of open bars and Wagyu beef hors d’oeuvres.

In a heated interview, Vice President Joe Biden spoke with Today‘s Ann Curry today on the defeat of the jobs bill in the Senate. “The president’s jobs bill didn’t even get unanimous vote from Senate Democrats. Why didn’t the president roll up his sleeves months ago and line by line address this issue for the need for jobs to create a bill that both parties could support?” Curry asked. “The president’s jobs bill didn’t even get unanimous vote from Senate Democrats. Why didn’t the president roll up his sleeves months ago and line by line address this issue for the need for jobs to create a bill that both parties could support?” Curry asked. “Hey, he not only rolled up his sleeves; we rolled up our sleeves, our pant legs, we were in our gym shorts working like the devil. They’ve made it real clear that under no circumstances are they prepared to pay for anything that we need to do now so we don’t raise the debt further in order to help people have jobs.”

Dateline NBC is getting itself a new host: When the show begins its new season on September 23rd, Lester Holt will officially replace Ann Curry, who is also juggling her a.m. co-hosting duties on the Today show. Holt isn’t at a loss for work himself, as he’s often seen on NBC and MSNBC. Like, really [...]

Ron Suskind‘s new book Confidence Men has been making waves for its unflattering portrayal of an Obama White House replete with sexism and incompetence. Now, Suskind himself is in the spotlight… along with CNN’s Erin Burnett and a singer from Detroit. Sit back, grab a box of Jujubes, give us some, and then allow us to explain the strange, sad saga of Erin Burkett….

Forbes has come out with its annual list of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” and, as is to be expected, several recognizable names in media made the cut. According to Forbes, the women on the list were selected “not just for being on top” but also for “being smack in the middle of Richter-registering events.” (Quite literally in some instances, if yesterday’s east coast earthquake is taken into account.)

A Connecticut woman who lost her eyes, hands and most of her face in a horrific chimpanzee attack has revealed the results of a face transplant. Charla Nash, who was visiting a friend when the friend’s chimp charged and attacked her, survived the attack and underwent face transplant surgery in May. “I’m beginning to feel my jaw and chin,” she told TODAY. “And I can move my mouth and smile. I still feel weak. But little by little I’m getting stronger.”

In an exclusive, TODAY will reveal Charla Nash‘s new face for the first time. Nash, the Connecticut woman who was disfigured in a horrific chimp attack, underwent face transplant surgery. NBC News reports TODAY’s Ann Curry will debut post-surgery photos and video of Nash on Thursday morning’s show. Nash’s daughter Briana and brother Stephen will join Curry in studio to talk about how Nash is doing since the face transplant.

The Today show can usually be counted on for at least one amusing, internet ready clip and this morning the show did not disappoint. During a segment on water animals, a scarlet ibis (an type of red, exotic bird for those of you not acquainted with Ornithology) took flight and found a perch on Matt Lauer’s head.

strong>Al Roker, weatherman, scholar and dancer, decided he’d attempt to recreate an iconic scene from Dirty Dancing with the help of actor Ryan Gosling. Roker tried, in vain, to get Ann Curry to dance, but she gave the impression that she’d rather have her teeth drilled than be carried through the air. We’re with you, Ann. Also, cute dress. Also, we’re going to be sure to follow your lead and somehow incorporate the phrase “gorgeous hunk of man candy” into conversation today.

Last night, Anderson Cooper again boldly defended the indefensible, putting “all those who dare to disparage Octomom Nadia Suleman” on his RidicuList (and for those of you who write for Washington-based blogs, before you write an outraged post about Coop, be advised: Cooper is being what we call sarcastic). At any rate, reflecting on Suleman’s recent visit to NBC’s TODAY, where her brood of 14 kids, including eight two year olds, wreaked havoc on the set, sending both Ann Curry and David Gregory into baby wrangling duty, Cooper suggests all you “haters” knock it down a notch.

Republican Senator Jim DeMint appeared on The Today Show and agreed with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell that President Obama needs to be a one-term President, however he disagreed regarding whether we even have to raise the debt ceiling at all. According to DeMint, we shouldn’t listen to warnings from the Treasury Secretary about the dangers of not raising the debt ceiling because in reality “we don’t need to panic.”

How can one person raise 14 children? That was the question Ann Curry sought to answer this morning on the Today Show as Nadya Suleman and nine of her many children gave their first live television appearance. We got a taste of the logistical nightmare that having this many children is as the interview continuously needed to be stopped as various Today anchors chased the wandering children around the set.

Rachel Maddow stopped by The Today Show this morning to offer her thoughts on the potential Republican candidates for President. Yet when she got a little too excited bashing New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, co-host Ann Curry laid down the law and politely reminded her to make her points “beyond argumentum ad hominem.”

With Michele Bachmann being described as the GOP frontrunner in Iowa, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty dimissed early polling that’s put the Republican presidential candidate in the single digits in Iowa, and promised he’d be a real contender. In an interview on NBC’s TODAY, “the reality is, at this point Mike Huckabee was at four percent, we’re at six percent, and he ended up winning the Iowa caucuses, so there’s plenty of time to do well in Iowa and beyond.”

President Obama‘s revealing interview on NBC’s TODAY covered plenty of ground, from the scandal surrounding Rep. Anthony Weiner to the economy, his family, and the president’s own feelings about his time in office. “I’m sure there are days where I say that one term is enough,’’ Obama said. “What keeps me going is a belief that the work that we started in 2009 is not yet complete.’’ The president told TODAY co-host Ann Curry that if, for some reason, he should decide not to seek a second term, his wife and daughters would not be disappointed.

The Today has gotten a huge get in the form of an exclusive interview with President Obama in which he speaks about the scandal involving Rep. Anthony Weiner. Asides from comments from White House Press Secretary Jay Carney that the entire situation was nothing but “a distraction,” this will be the first official statement from the White House. Not only that, he told Today‘s Ann Curry that, were he in Weiner’s shoes, he “would resign.”

In a typically over-the-top farewell from TODAY to its departing co-host Meredith Vieira, the NBC morning show’s entire staff, from co-host Matt Lauer to Vieira’s replacement Ann Curry and every member of the show’s production team–all wearing matching t-shirts–took to Rockefeller Plaza in a lip sync performance right out of Glee.

MSNBC’s Rundown co-host Chuck Todd said farewell to his co-host Savannah Guthrie Friday, popping the cork for an on-set champagne toast as Guthrie prepares for her move to NBC’s TODAY. In a tweet about the morning, Guthrie told followers she and Todd were “kickin it like KLG and Hoda,” a reference to TODAY’s Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, who’ve been known to enjoy a late morning mimosa from time to time.

In her first comments since announcing on-air this morning that she would leave NBC’s TODAY in June, Meredith Vieira told reporters it was a “tough decision” that took months to make to decide to depart the program. “I had to go with my gut, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”

Vieira said she began considering a departure from television’s top-rated network morning show in January, but didn’t say anything about the move officially until she announced her decision Monday morning on the show–confirming one of the worst kept secrets in television. “It didn’t take WikiLeaks for this to come out,” said NBC News president Steve Capus.

An emotional moment this morning on The Today Show as Meredith Vieira officially announced her departure from the show which will take place next month. Sitting next to Matt Lauer, Al Roker, Ann Curry and Natalie Morales, Vieira revealed how much she loved the job but how she truly wanted more time to spend with her family.