The men used to be too proud to get caught gossiping. The present of women makes it okay it seems to me.
Ridiculous.
The real difference happened decades ago now and that is when journalism shifted from a Working Joe’s world to one of young and not too smart mandarins. Privileged upper-middle-class grad school dweebs from a weak major, but who love being loved by the Establishment they serve. They actually bought their college propaganda and so see themselves as the white hats—however dark their deeds.