The fact of the matter is, stomp doesn't make much $$, most online websites don't make much $$ from advertising, at least not enough to cover costs. I'm sure the CS admins will tell you the same.
So if they can't make $$, how can they pay for good photography.
Further, you don't need 10 MP sized images for web-sized images, neither do you need superb lighting control and direction, so they can get by with cheap handphone photos.
What's there to say? The world is changing. Luminous landscape just had a rant column about the micro-payment model in stock photography, apparently the same thing is happening in that industry.
The long run trend is clear. Photography is becoming commoditized, and everyone with a handphone can now take pictures. Pros who don't specialise are finding their markets under attack. Life has folded, and photojournalism is basically dead in the face of live CNN reports. If you want to charge for photography, you had better be able to deliver quality far above that of a handphone or a P&S, and you had better specialise (ie become a wedding, product, architectural, interior, car photographer, etc).