All news is propaganda (and that includes everything posted on Hacker News) and has no useful content to the reader. It is only useful to those who create it or are a subject of it.
I would happily pay to post news or at least comments under news articles (which all of the news websites have removed), but never to passively consume it. I will work around their paywall if I have to read something to comment on it. I would not even consider it if it was free or if they paid me (that depends on how much the payment is ofc. because I am not financially independent).
Of course, they might hear it from the news, but the idea is that I (and them) don't need to, to get on with life and still hear the important affective announcements.
The news is new.
It's more entertainment and sensation than information.
I do hear the news on the radio sometimes, this is ad supported and license fee supported. It's a side effect of listening to other programmes.