[mcantelon]

>When reporters discover the people behind pseudonymous lobbying fronts, they don't report only the pseudonyms to protect the real identities involved

Apples and oranges are different, yes. A private individual communicating independently is a much different thing than a lobbying front.

>Isn't this just Reddit's weird norms leaking into the real world?

It could be that online culture might know a thing or two about the downsides of exposing people's identities, especially when done by journalists with large audiences.

>Or is it just the case that, as one friend said on Slack, "doxxing is when someone you don't like posts information about someone you do like"?

Do some people have double standards about doxing? Sure. Double standards are pretty common in general.