Is news coverage of "The View" sexist? Reports on the show's daily happenings are more likely to highlight disagreements between co-hosts-often deemed a "hissy fit"- than coverage of the healthy political debate that happens around the table.

Ramin Setoodeh, author of "Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of 'The View.'", offered his take on "Salon Talks."

"It doesn't get a fair shake sometimes. There's so much focus on the 'cat fights' and not enough focus on the substance because this show is really actually full of substance," Setoodeh said. "Women debating waterboarding in daytime television is something to celebrate and it makes viewers smarter to watch the show."

Setoodeh, who interviewed nearly all of the show's past and present co-hosts for his book, said media coverage of "The View" reminded him of the 2016 election. "When Hillary Clinton ran for president, there was just endless press about her demeanor, and the fact that as a woman she did this, or she did that, or she acted like this, or she wore this. 'The View' is often written about in the same way as Hillary Clinton."

Watch the full episode with Setoodeh to hear the backstory on why Barbara Walters originally created "The View" and how 22 years later, Meghan McCain has become the leading face of the show.