Because by that point, they've acquired a sizeable audience of hate-readers. But the algorithm treats all clicks as equal. And so they become employable for the revenue they can generate from hate rather than like.

John S. Huntington

Pretty neat that once a person (Pamela Paul, in this case) climbs to the top of the media ladder, even if they fail spectacularly after getting there, they get a sort of sinecure that allows them to publish garbage in perpetuity.