News coverage of American politics is not known for an abundance of positivity. Lots of people have noted that our political coverage tends to be overwhelmingly negative. And it’s getting worse. Dylan Mathews at Vox recently reported on a 2022 study that documented a growing number of news organizations featuring negative emotions, namely "anger, fear, disgust and sadness,” in their headlines. Mathews says journalists are a “morose bunch.” But is it all journalists? Or are political reporters uniquely prone to cynicism?
