Are paywalls protecting criminals more than profits?

When journalism hides behind a paywall, who’s being protected - the public, or the perpetrators?

I've written before about the growing use of paywalls by mainstream media outlets. The common understanding is that they exist to generate revenue, and that's fair enough. Journalism isn’t free, and newsrooms need to stay afloat. But lately, I’ve started to wonder if paywalls are doing more than just making money. In some cases, they seem to be shieldin…