I agree that it would be nice for them to get even a little bump. It's all fine to say that they just exist for the lore and/or world building, but it literally feels like you're being punished for choosing to do them over just about anything else unless the lore is literally the only thing you care about. Plus, if they did reward more XP, it could encourage more people to do them and end up enjoying the story and lore even more than they already do.