It's two fold:
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it's good proof of "user interaction with site" to sell to advertisers
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they can use that to load more ads or refresh current ones after it loads more text, and you're already bought in on the story so you're likely going to keep going.
I suspect a third reason is to try adding other news stories at the end in case the current one didn't grab your attention, but that doesn't seem to be as consistent amongst sites that I've seen do this. I run ad blockers though, so I don't really see the sites the way they expect me to.
A lot of the actual, serious ones that knew what they were doing got caught. Some went to lulsec to be jerks with no agenda and were caught by the Feds. All that was left were script kiddies that downloaded the Low Orbit Ion Cannon and used scripts they find online. Then they left or were overtaken by alt right idiots.
The original Anonymous are in their 30s and 40s by now. Everyone ages out.