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It's not talked about enough how "traditional news" is culpable for the rise of "fake news" by locking vital information and reporting behind exactly these kinds of pay walls, thus causing people to seek alternative free means instead. This is how fake news sites thrive; pushed into the forefront by traditional media who refuse to adapt their business models to the modern landscape.
How do you feel about government subsidies being used to bolster a free press? From past examples like oil, they don't become a shell company of the governments whims and I feel journalism is just as important to an educated populace in comparison to oil for our commerce.
This actually isnt a terrible strategy. Right now the news sites require profit for survival. Leading them to do well frankly... Whatever it takes to make that happen. Which leads us to the road we are on now. If their survival was subsidized and they were simply paid to provide the service of good journalism. This would be beneficial as journalism at its core is a PUBLIC service. That is currently being sold as a commercial commodity.
This is really the case for all essential services (which I believe factual new is). Just look at the mess healthcare has made, or the 'food industry', or education.
I am for it
You can't have actually free and truthful news as long as people need money to survive
I never said free, I said they needed to adapt their business model. I also never said the reason didn't make sense, but the ramifications remain the same even if there is good reason for the practice. Whether by design or not, they still share culpability.