The payments are set up so that frequent Medium reader’s attention is worth a lot less. Medium is trying to get the attention of new consumers/subscribers. Jessica’s faithful followers are ALREADY PAYING so who cares? Mediums not going to capitalize on them bc increases to subscriptions will likely lose them altogether, as well as the golden goose, Jessica, to Substack. So, they’ll make it increasingly harder for a high, intrinsically motivated performer and she’ll rise to the occasion like she always does, (she has to earn a living) and make it rain for them. That’s how this works. To paraphrase Elton John: she is the treadmill, and they made her change her name.