I find it hard to imagine a world where the eccentric behaviors and personal lives of practicing scientists would receive newspaper coverage.
Really? Such tactics are all over the media nowadays. Read Manufacturing Consent then look for all of the tactics in the western "propaganda model" of operation updated for 2020. The news has never been subtle about this sort of manipulation since at least the 80's. By comparison, what I see nowadays, it seems like journalists think everyone's a mental toddler.
Look for emotional language in articles. Then count up the hard facts. There's an inverse relationship. It's not supposed to be like this!