You miss the bigger picture. The shit journalism and propaganda are still free - funded by … other means . That is why magazine have tried to be free in the internet.
You’re also operating with the wisdom of hindsight. No one knew how to handle internet publishing. We all learned together.
Read all four books. I have read the series now. Perhaps 3x in the last 25 or so years since I discovered it.
The Fall of Hyperion is 100% a recommendation. The Endymion books are somewhat controversial. But I love them.