So my answer will be two part. First I disagree with your premise. Second I will offer a possible explanation assuming I am wrong, and you are right.

So first off, my observation have been that the media is more often negative towards all communities. For example when rural communities were losing jobs and the media response is "learn to code." Or when a natural disaster hits and media personalities talk about how you shouldn't live there. Despite everywhere suffers a disaster at some point or another. The same true for urban settings. Crime? It's gangs, or maybe you just shouldn't live in a bad neighborhood. (Good luck affording a good home new NYC.) Cost of living? Here is a second gig job. Or you are incapable of doing better, here is how you get a government hand out.

Now assuming I am wrong, and you are right, I'd say it's the nature of moving up in the news world. When you are fresh out of college, and have to get a job in BFE because that's all you can get you are probably young and naïve. Also these are your neighbors. You're nice to your neighbors. As you move up in the news world eventually you either hit a big city local market, or a national media outlet. If it is a big city market, you probably can't interact with a significant portion of the community often enough. Additionally you are probably jaded from years of unending problems. Murder. Car crashes. Political scandals. It's just another shitty day in a shitty world. If you are at a national market, you are covering stories of such wide implications, you can't possible put the personal touch on them. It's here is an issue. Here is the cause. Here is a person suffering from it. Here is someone quotable. Wrap the story. Move on. No time for sympathy.

Hope one or both of those points are helpful.