Media hottie Brian Montopoli stepped down from Public Eye today. He will now be a political reporter CBSNews.com. We sat down with our favorite ex-pundit to talk about CBS, Romenesko and his good looks.

Why did you decide to leave Public Eye?
I’ve been there two years, first as a writer and then editor. And before that I was doing a similar job at CJR. You just get a bit tired of doing the same beat after a while. Plus I’m really excited about the chance to do some good, old-fashioned political reporting.

How has the media landscape changed since you started working as a media pundit?
That question requires a 10,000 word answer which would probably bore the hell out of you. The short, still-probably-kinda-boring answer is that even as things have become more diffuse, the big media players like the New York Times have learned to adapt better than most people expected.

How did CBS's ratings affect your job at public eye?
That’s a difficult one for me to address. In a general sense, I’d say it’s much easier to deal with the occasional criticism when you’re doing really well than when you’re struggling a bit.

You were an early critic of To Catch a Predator. What do you think is going to happen with that show?
Hard to say. The Times ran a piece recently that said the show might be quietly going away, and the Esquire piece about the botched Texas sting was pretty devastating. There certainly seems to be some momentum against the show, but it’s ultimately far more about ratings than what the chattering classes have to say. If they do take the show off the air, maybe I’ll stop getting threatening emails from folks upset with me for questioning it, which would be nice.

What online developments since 2004 will make a difference in the 2008 campaign and it coverage?
Streaming video. And I’m not sure it’s a good thing. Candidates have to be more guarded than ever before now for fear of their Macaca moment. These days a harmless joke – like John McCain singing “Bomb Iran” to the tune of “Barbara Ann” for about three seconds — gets blown way out of proportion. We’re slowly freezing anyone who seems like an actual human being out of the process.

What will you miss about media reporting?
Mostly the Romenensko links. Well, that and the fact that I’ve gotten to pontificate about and report on an industry that I’d be pontificating about even if I wasn’t getting paid for it.

What won't you miss about media reporting?
Thin-skinned journalists who fly off the handle if you dare raise questions about their work. Trying to come up with new angles on topics that I’ve already written about 10 times over. Media criticism outfits that constantly scream about partisan bias when journalism’s problems are much more complex.

Lastly, your good looks: Your mom or you dad's side?
I absolutely question the premise. But I’m gonna have to say my mom.