A media scrum is when a large number of reporters surround a public figure and bombard them with questions. They play a central role in Canadian politics, but also occur in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. In the United States the term is mostly often used to refer to the interviewing of athletes after sporting events.

In Canada scrums are a fixture of the hallway outside the House of Commons. Members of the parliamentary press gallery surround important politicians as they exit the chamber. The disorganization and pressure of a scrum makes them notorious for generating remarks that are not well thought out, especially when compared to the more staid press conference or speech. Scrums also raise security concerns making them unthinkable in nations that have terrorism concerns such as the U.S. and U.K.

Because of these concerns Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day famously refused to participate in scrums, instead holding a daily press conference. Brian Mulroney restricted scrums by positioning himself on the stairway up to his office allowing him to tower over the media on the steps below him. By contrast Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was renowned for their skill at handling scrums and most of his famous quotations were remarks made during scrums.