Armchair Critic: I don't understand why someone would think it is not right for the media companies to make money from this? As long as their reporting is factual then what harm does it do if someone makes a non-coerced decision to use their own money to pay? There are plenty of free alternative sources anyway.

Plenty of companies and professionals will make money off this. Eg, funeral homes, makers of medical equipment, lawyers for wills and probate, etc. They wouldn't be providing their needed services and products if they didn't make money.

Individuals will also make money. For example as long as I survive, I personally am excepting to make at least a few hundred thousand and if it gets bad enough maybe a million or two because over the past few months I've been reallocating my more vulnerable wealth (basically a good chunk of my share portfolio) to what I think are safer investments. And everybody who has bothered to keep abreast of events and stay informed has had the opportunity to do this*. So it is perfectly fair that people make money in this fashion because it is the rewards of rational investing.

(*For example, the Wuhan lockdown should have been ringing alarm bells in everyone's head. Any sensible person should have asked themselves questions like: "Why would a country like China lockdown a *whole city* if this wasn't very,very serious issue." So at this point at the latest people should have been preparing themselves. And yet even at this stage you still had idiots, some here at this web-site even, saying that it's just a small no-issue like another yearly flu and it will have no real consequence.)

Hey thinkabit,
"I don't understand why someone would think it is not right for the media companies to make money from this?"

I don't have issue with businesses making money, and I don't necessarily expect anyone to provide a product or service for free.
I suppose I think that sometimes businesses need to set profits aside for the greater good, and sometimes doing that is just the cost of doing 'good' business.
Right now I think this is one of those times, where everyone should have access to 'reliable' up to date COVID-19 info, regardless of a subscription.
The cost of a couple hundred bucks an article is a small price to pay for a billion dollar media empire to show the general public you're taking the issue seriously for the communities best interest.
I do understand however that we're a capitalist society and I've got no right to tell others how to run their businesses.

Probably the biggest reason why I personally don't have news subscriptions already isn't because I can't afford it, it's probably more to do with the fact I find many of their stories aren't reliable and don't give the full picture on geopolitical issues and they just sell a narrative, and I get better sources of news online.
For that reason I don't really rely on corporate media for my news and only read some articles sometimes.
I'd be happy to pay for 'today's paper' for example when I find an interesting article I want to read, but online subscriptions don't have non-recurring payment options.

The articles I was whinging about aren't paywalled anymore now anyway, and I do genuinely get better info online, just not on local stuff.
If you check out the last few links I've added you'll see I do.

New Evidence Shows Coronavirus Started In The US, Not China
http://youtu.be/XnXAyj31hTA

I also think people who have been complacent are being foolish for being unprepared.

So wheres all the safe money going anyway?
And how are smart investors going to capitalise on the crisis?
(I'm not being facetious btw, I'm genuinely curious)