To some extent, they are though. Most peer reviewers are not paid for their time; instead, they are largely federally-funded academics. The journals have an i

To some extent, they are though. Most peer reviewers are not paid for their time; instead, they are largely federally-funded academics. The journals have an incredible racket: they don't pay for their raw inputs, and they get a lot of their value-added for free as well. Since there's been a large shift away from the dead-tree versions being critical for researchers, the cost of transporting bits is a lot lower than stacks of paper.