There are a lot of reasons candidates do and don't get attention from our great political reporters. I generally don't think it's some sort of grand conspiracy, but they nonetheless reflect certain biases of the herd and the sheepdogs.
They do love candidates who Own The Libs, and this includes Democratic candidates (A candidate willing to do a daily "Sister Souljah" is the dreamboat Dem). They also love, as much as the MAGAs, candidates who tell them it's ok to be an asshole (this was Reagan's charm, too, and they loved/love that guy).
Related, they love bullies. Guys Who Yell At People. This explains Chris Christie, their Green Room buddy. He was telling harsh truths when he loved Trump, and he's telling harsh truths now that he doesn't (makes the "truth" part of this a bit suspect, as does that whole Bridgegate thing).
