OK, so this article has helped me: https://steemit.com/smt/@donkeypong/the-day-the-paywalls-died-how-steem-s-smart-media-token-saved-my-family-s-newspaper

In theory it could work like this, example is a daily newspaper:

• SMTs are like an ICO - simple process of creating your own coin based on our blockchain. This you knew.
• SMTs are coins that the fictional newspaper pays to curators/readers for reading/buying content (plus for curator)
• Coin can then be used to subscribe to newspaper or buy ad space (plus for creator)
• Coin gives reader power of vote > user engagement grows > money flows within the platform like it does now on Steemit too (plus for curator and creator)

It's way cooler to read the article that plays a fictional scenario in 2019, but I tried to summarize a bit ;-) In this fictional piece the journalists all want to work at this newspaper and get super rich too :D