If you want to avoid most of this, use news sources that don't need ads to operate. That means NPR, BBC, CBC, and similar.
I use the NPR news app on my phone, and rarely encounter an ad. Nice benefit is that most of the stories have narrated audio if she wants to switch modes.
Unfortunately the government continues to the cut funding for the CBC.
And the CBC doesn't help its public perception (who have the power to advocate for increased funding) when they give leeway to their stars like Jian Ghomeshi and Amanda Lang that would be unacceptable in other companies.
And it's even considering selling it's Toronto HQ amid staff reductions and budget cuts.
My point? Enjoy CBC while it lasts. Because in a decade or so, it may not even close to comparable to the likes of NPR, BBC, et al.
Major market NPR affiliate developer here. We need ads (digital) and underwriting (OTA) to operate. Member donations are great but don't make up the entire budget.
Still, it's at least not a news source purpose built to drive ad revenue. The culture and mission is different, and it shows in the interface design.
If you're in a position to suggest, let people donate to NPR to get a version of the app that never shows ads as their reward.
I noticed mine recently started very occasionally showing ads down on the bottom, but surely the ad revenue from delivering them to a single person is smaller than the amount a typical NPR listener will donate (if they donate at all).
If you're not in the UK, BBC news has ads mid-article in a lot of their articles. I use the site several times a day and some of the ads are that awkward height where you have to scroll carefully past it to avoid clicking.
I use the NPR news app on my phone, and rarely encounter an ad. Nice benefit is that most of the stories have narrated audio if she wants to switch modes.