Just as it is not lowly to speak (what would otherwise be considered) rechilus for a constructive purpose, so too it is not wrong to listen to rechilus if the listener honestly believes that it is important for him to be aware of the information. This includes any discussion that could help the listener protect himself from others who plan to harm him, or to protect others from damage about to be inflicted upon them. It is also permissible to listen to information that could be of help in rectifying damage already done to oneself or others.
In these cases, the discussion is not labeled as “gossip”; rather it is constructive speech.
