Second, since there is zero correct usage of the term by the media; enter Mirriam Webster:
Definition of SCANDAL
1
a : discredit brought upon religion by unseemly conduct in a religious person
b : conduct that causes or encourages a lapse of faith or of religious obedience in another
2
: loss of or damage to reputation caused by actual or apparent violation of morality or propriety : disgrace
3
a : a circumstance or action that offends propriety or established moral conceptions or disgraces those associated with it
b : a person whose conduct offends propriety or morality <a scandal to the profession>
4
: malicious or defamatory gossip
5
: indignation, chagrin, or bewilderment brought about by a flagrant violation of morality, propriety, or religious opinion
Just so we are clear about what the word means when we hear it over and over and over and over and over......So until our commentary changes usage, I'm all in for #4 above.