I'm afraid that the situation is backwards. Media aren't published for an ulterior reason and propped up with ads to cut costs. Most digital media exist to show ads, and it props them with "viral content" to lure in readers.

Paper media can sell a paper copy and (theoretically) run without ads. Digital media would have to sell subscription (when they can offer high-quality content), or run entirely on ads (then the content is secondary). Guess which type is prevalent.