I think where Medium has gone wrong is the type of article they are looking for - asking for authentic writers with authentic experiences which they must share with their readers. In other words, this is a blogging platform.

People who read like to read serious stuff, and there are very few serious writers left on this platform. When I started (when the platform opened), publications like The Atlantic, The Economist, the New York Times used to publish here. They have all withdrawn.

It was good reading. One could read what was happening in the world, get the news, find insights that were not published elsewhere.

Consequently, over a period of time, most readers have left. The platform changed its goal posts - instead of it being a platform for readers, it is now a platform for writers, and because there are now so few writers, writers are now paid to read...