Are we readers to blame for declining editorial standards in newspapers?

It has become fashionable to trash the print media for 'paid news', private treaties' and going soft on their key advertisers like IIPM. But from an economic perspective, what can they do? 

In her book, 'The Indian Media Business', the noted journalist Vanita Kohli-Khandekar(Pg 8) estimates the marginal cost of producing a newspaper to be Rs 15-20. But no newspaper sells for over Rs 1-5(the higher end is more for regional media than for English language papers). And then, the newsvendor may get a commission upto 50%. So the advertisers are the ones who largely fund the newspapers. And given that the Indian reader spends little on serious content(magazines like Money Life, Tehelka are struggling to get subscribers), the publishers have little option than to depend on advertisers. So what other options do these papers have to raise money?

1. Transferring content online:- Paywalls have not caught on yet(except with Business Standard) but advertisers may support this online content
2. Offering archives to subscribers:-This strategy, followed largely by print magazines, may work for newspapers if readers need to search a particular paper..
3. Selling subscriber Data(of direct subscribers):- Papers like TOI, HT, Mint, Business Standard offer cut rate subscriptions(B2C) where they get customer data. This may help them push for better advertising rates and also insurance companies/others may like this data for mail promotions. But regulators may stop this route.

Routes (1) and (2) may at best pay for online prescence. Offline is still an issue.I am not tarring all papers with the same brush. Newspapers like Business Standard, Mint and Hindu manage to navigate that thin line quite successfully but the others quite openly show their priorities.
Bottomline:- Vote with your wallet by subscribing to independent quality media. Else, we do forfeit the right to comment on how the content standards are declining