this is because the high-profile political reporters are often highly educated elites with vaguely center-left views that they feel embarrassed about and think they can atone for

As someone who grew up in various small Texas towns and then moved to a huge city, a lot of people who only view them from outside are also unaware of just how awful small towns can be. Many are run like little feudal kingdoms of hate where like the guy who owns the one car dealership is a tyrant.

Reporters have their personal biases, sure. Seems like their profession is expected to be immune to the pressures employment puts on any worker. Broadly speaking, the problem might rest more with editors, producers, execs, & owners. They're selecting who reports, what gets reported & how.

🎯

They also have main character syndrome

or they are just a bunch of self-absorbed dipshits.

i won’t deny this is plausible but i think it’s more likely they have vaguely center-right views and THINK they’re far leftists and think they need to atone for it

hippies versus hard hats was an old story before I was born and I’m not young, the reason it sticks is because it appeals to commentators as a way to show that they get it and they’re one of the good ones, open to Normal People’s perspectives. It never works.

They have to compensate for growing up in Scarsdale or Bethesda or wherever by constantly fetishing the cartoon version of Real America

This may be what you meant by “elites,” but it’s also a straight-up class issue. A lot of reporters are really wealthy! And from really wealthy backgrounds. I heard one reporter from a left-ish publication joke about evicting their tenants. And the industry is squeezing out people who aren’t so rich