The Verge and 404 Media are building out new functions that would allow them to distribute posts on their sites and on federated platforms – like Threads, Mastodon and Bluesky – at the same time. Replies to those posts on those platforms become comments on their sites.
The money comes from the companies that are hiring them to do the journalist work. Of course.
Let’s be intellectually honest here. If a company has enough money that the boss can brand themself as “CEO” then it can pay at least living wages.