The problem is when M says that, they mean it as marketing hype not as policy. They have shown no interest in deep and rich stories that are in any way challenging to the readers. The CEO told me he believes that readers don't want to read articles that are controversial, and the head of the boost program told me she and her "boss" consider philosophy articles to be of poor quality.

They have made it clear in every way that their primary criterion for M is to deliver fluffy stories that make readers feel good. Sometimes, deep and rich high-quality content slips through, but for the most part, M only wants fluffy time-filler stories and, of course, tech and business, tech and business, tech and business. The harsh reality is that we writers pay more attention to the Quality Guidelines than they do.

But don't lose hope--we can and will build a community of people who want high-quality writing ourselves by supporting each other.