The now infamous Schapelle Corby

is, according to media reports, likely to obtain parole very shortly.
There are varying views on her innocence and guilt - both here as well as abroad.  There are varying views on whether she should be granted parole.
Now there are also varying views on whether she will financially benefit from telling her story. There are claims she could get "millions" for it.
Millions? Where does this sort of money come from? It's ridiculous. I imagine that the vast majority of people would say that criminals should not benefit from their crimes but there does not seem to be the same view about others benefitting - mostly the media.
I am not talking here about a trip to Bali for a journalist and camera crew - although that may be very nice if they can wangle an extra night while they are there - but about the income which a story will generate. People will advertise on a television station which has a good story to tell. They know people will want to hear the story so they will take the opportunity to advertise there at the same time.
And who pays for the advertising? We do of course. The cost of advertising is built into the cost of the things we buy.
I know it is much more complicated than that but in the end that is what it comes down for. We pay people. Even those of us who watch almost no television, avoid the commercial television stations, press the mute button when the advertisements appear, and don't bother reading the advertisements in papers, we pay for people to write and speak about crime.
How much better would it be if that money was spent on paying authors to write good fiction instead?