I think the important distinction would be 'file' or 'record'. Passwords aren't really a file in a database iirc and records in a database have a storage limit
It's common knowledge that the days we work in the office, nothing gets done. All the meetings where a middle manager needs to see his minions before him in a room ensure we have no other time.
It comes down to the number of mouths that have to fed at the end of the day. Individuals producing news stories appear 'free' for the masses because they have alternative ways of earning, such as monetization on a large platform.
News agencies, however, are in a strange place these days. They used to be private and used to have a default subscription fee. You paid for the paper or you read one that someone left behind somewhere. Nobody's buying papers anymore and they've had to move online. In addition they've been purchased by giant conglomerates or billionaires. It's no longer a matter of making sure their employees are fed by producing a great product... the billionaires and CEO's just want money. Since everyone's ad-blocking these days they charge subscriptions and leverage tech to deny their product to those who don't pay.
There will always be alternative news sources, and god knows I prefer them to 18 tv stations in the same city using the exact same propagandized scripts. You just have to put in the effort to look for them. That's the fee you're paying. Time.
And then Skynet remembers..