If you need to read them for your job, that is just a business expense. If you read them for your leisure and they're not even worth 50c to you, then that sounds like you are wasting your time.
For leisure / keeping up with the world (you know, democracy and such), and wow are you judgmental.
I am not judging you, I'm trying to understand why you want to spend your time on content that you yourself consider not even worth a pittance?
Their comment appears to be about ability to pay, not value.