The unfortunate reality is thus: The internet has created a zero-cost distribution platform, and "news" platforms which exploit irrational emotional responses

The unfortunate reality is thus: The internet has created a zero-cost distribution platform, and "news" platforms which exploit irrational emotional responses in order to further an agenda will always exist. If quality news is gated by a paywall, there exists a cutoff with respect to salary beneath which quality news is inaccessible. Even if some could afford it and choose not to, there still exists an informational membrane between two classes of people. This system inherently couples poverty with less education. That is unacceptable! The playing field must be even for all, and the same knowledge should be accessible by all citizens who wish to participate politically. There exists a concept in Game Theory called Perfect Information [0]. To quote Wikipedia, a sequential game has perfect information if each player, when making any decision, is perfectly informed of all the events that have previously occurred. If we don't maintain a system which facilitates perfect information, then most people beneath this socioeconomic membrane will follow the path of least resistance and end up subscribing to free platforms which exist to exploit them. Remember, if the product is free... And if we allow this to happen, then we create ideological chasms between socioeconomic classes, which leads to distrust and prevents cohesive inter-class political activity. This hurts the lower class the most, as they must rely on human resources more than financial resources in order to exact meaningful change within their lifetimes. It may be that the only solution is a network of journalist cells and news organizations which are paid for by public donations, university funding, tax money, fundraising, and any and all ethical means of revenue collection which still allow the product itself to be free. As most browsers of Hacker News are surely Open Source enthusiasts, it would be very beneficial to take the time to gain a deeper understanding of why you appreciate Open Source software, the benefits it has both to empower the individual and society as a whole, and what mechanisms must exist to ensure such a system continues to exist. If you can identify these root concepts, you can then generalize them and try applying them to your understanding of the news distribution model and the future of journalism, and perhaps you might uncover new insights. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_information https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_information