They have to compete with ad-funded competition. This doesn’t tell us about the viability of this approach in a world where the ad-funded model isn’t viable.

If there is such a small ability for the average person to make SMB viable without massive subsidies by advertisers maybe it's time to argue that there should be more public investment and grants given to independent journalists that meet a certain criteria.

Government paid press? How long before someone realizes they better write inline with current government views. Who would a Trump government hire/fire who would a Biden government hire/fire.. independent of what?

Many countries have this in various forms and it works out fine. Generally illegal to interfere with the press and a good way to lose the next election

You realize NPR and PBS, along with the foreign US press (name escapes me), have been a thing for 50+ years right?

Laws can be written in a way to guarantee independence from despots too.

Idk it feels better than this whole private affair where rules are arbitrary and the only thing that matters is how many ad impressions you sell.

i'd say the success of substack flies directly in the face of your claim