Politico Reporter 2016 Tears Expose Partisan Bias in White House Coverage

When Reporters Wear Their Politics on Their Sleeve

• Many journalists today blur the line between reporting and activism.
• Personal reactions from reporters undermine trust in media impartiality.
• Examples matter: when a White House reporter shows partisan emotion, readers notice.

The media is overwhelmingly liberal, and that’s not a mystery; it’s a pattern you can spot in newsroom hiring, story selection, and social feeds. Readers expect reporters to keep opinions out of the facts, but when journalists celebrate or mourn political outcomes publicly, the line disappears. That tendency is a big reason trust in news outlets has cratered.

Sometimes a single moment crystallizes the problem, and this is one of those moments. Cheyanne Daniels of Politico, who covers the Trump White House, openly admitted she cried after his 2016 victory. That reaction was broadcast on social media and stayed on the record.

Whether you like or hate Donald Trump, the core issue is simple: an impartial reporter should not be emotionally invested in the story they cover. Feeling strongly as a private citizen is normal, but broadcasting that emotion while covering the subject turns reporting into commentary. Readers deserve to know when a journalist has a public stake in the outcomes they cover.

That’s exactly why people on all sides are skeptical of mainstream outlets. When reporters behave like activists, it feeds a cycle of distrust and drives audiences to partisan corners for “news” that confirms their views. The damage is self-inflicted and hard to undo.

Accountability matters more than ever, and outlets should enforce clearer lines between reporting and personal expression. Newsrooms could require staff to avoid public displays of partisan emotion when they’re assigned to beat politicians or campaigns. It’s basic: keep the personal reactions off the masthead and the facts front and center.

Readers can also push back by demanding transparency about reporters’ past statements and social media histories. If a journalist has a clear public bias, consumers should know before accepting their coverage at face value. Trust is earned one fair story at a time.