The thing is, I think companies do shyt like this because they think two things: The initial controversy will drive up sales even amongst those who will hate read it. Also, they think the younger generations which major media institutions are year over year losing in grabbing enjoy it. I'm not in the 18-24 age range so maybe they do, I dunno.
The first one only works when you're not asking people to fork over actual cash to indulge in a product. Like a viral video or tweet. The second one is going to be a problem because all the traditional medias are losing that demographic to ADHD quality content like TikTok or short viral clips. So, really all you've successfully done is drive those who are already loyal away and the gains youre hoping for from the above things never materialize to make up for it.
So why do they keep doing it?