I skip publications and enjoy reading dev blogs, or at least blogs where I can tell there are no content marketers behind.
I guess you are tired of intrusive ads?
I run a blog myself and the money that keeps it running comes exclusively from my pocket. All the content is free and fully accessible (no paywalls, reading quota, etc.). I build the website and write the articles during nights and weekends.
I share your discontent with the current state of things. However, I plan on having a small piece of real estate on the page with an ad banner as long as it's privacy-focused, non intrusive and doesn't hurt performance.
For non-tech, mine is ad-free -> https://knowledgeday.in
As for reading, a lot of these blog links found on top HN threads have negligible ads. Plus I have a habit of turning on reading mode.
Or I just send blog links to Pocket and then read them later. The reading mode/pocket app cleanup the ads while also making the content more readable with font/bg of your choice.