I for one would like more individuals running their own news website. It would need only relatively few subscribers to keep the lights on in a one-man shop that only pays for the own salary and maybe a press agency subscription.

Yes. The BBC seems to be doing quite well in the UK with no ads.

Ah, but those BBC guys collect a licensing tax on everyone in the UK. They're like a state sponsored premium channel.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licensing_in_the_Un...

Yep. Just one of many business models that don't involve hocking malware to your users.

There are other options. For example, I used to be a poor college student who had no money. I listened to NPR sometimes, but didn't pay. Now I have a good job, and I pay to listen. I don't mind at all that I'm supporting people who can't pay. Some of them will pay eventually, some will continue to get it for free. It's not an either/or proposition.