the Pentagon Papers were stolen by Daniel Ellsberg.
Do you have a problem with his theft?
I think it depends on the gravity of the story
I actually have no problem with it with few exceptions. We live in a time where journalists have abdicated their duty to be objective and fair and balanced.
Look at substack success
If the story saves lives or debunks conventional wisdom or exposes something nefarious, I think it's justified.
Buying data to dox people is not justified.