The key to getting good discussions is to not have a profit motive coupled to eyeballs.
HN doesn't show ads, doesn't care about growth.
Large newspapers had strict firewalls between advertising, journalism and opinion -- but smaller papers had to fold to pressure from advertisers.
Subscription services need eyeballs badly -- but they need paying eyeballs, which means that they need to offer more than just outrage -- but if they don't show at least some of their content for free, they can't grow.
replies(8):