So why WAS Batman an urban myth in the 90’s and 2000’s?

I keep on forgetting this so I just wanna talk about it. For some reason, Batman editors decided Batman was now just an urban myth no one believed in. After being a public figure, to the point he took pictures with the Justice league at the UN... he was just an urban myth to everyone. No one believed he existed and Batman valued his hidden nature so much that he had Jim Gordon rough up and harass reporters and photographers to protect this secret. Batman and everyone he knew HAD to be hidden and in the shadows, even Robin. The public must never ever see Batman, and know he exists. So like... why?

In a world of Superman, Darkseid, Wonder Woman, Joker, and more... why does Batman have to hide? HOW can he hide? Thousands of crooks know he exists! All these guys are ignored?! The Batmobile driving on the streets, ignored?! The dozens of supervillains who have huge public attacks that are foiled by a dark figure, ignored?! Even pretending Batman was never a public figure before... other heroes have met him. Why do THEY hide who he is, or regular Gotham cops. Batman not existing is the worst secret ever, and what does it provide. The power of myth? WHAT MYTH? If anything, believing he's a myth and seeing him... should make you fear him LESS! It's a copy cat copying the myth. 'Oh sure, what about the actual copycats of Batman.' Sure, but now you know he exists... so maybe he's that copycat, can't take a chance!

The reasoning for why he does so and how he does so is awful, but my god the worst part is how Batman treats it. Like finding out he exists can CRUMBLE Gotham and that his entire mission is ruined. That if anyone figured out he just exists can destroy any belief of him as a dark vigilante. Oh sure he has beaten the living shit out of every criminal in Gotham 30x over, stopped VARIOUS dictators, overthrew a country or two, wages war against the US military and won, and stopped Super Ebola once... but yes, if we find out he actually did all those things... no one will fear him. It's just... why was this done at all in universe (please, no real world reasons why)... and how?! Again, THE PICTURES THAT WERE TAKEN! One of the most famous Batman stories, Year One, PUBLICALLY SHOWED he existed! Everyone knew he did! How did they all just... forget?!