We used to pay for things - including the news. The clear issue is that the working class have (since 1970s but especially since the financial crisis) tolerated having their inflation adjusted incomes degraded so there is no longer the money to pay.

This isn’t true of the US:

https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/LES1252881600Q

With fits and starts, real median wages have been on a solid upward trend since the mid-1990’s.