This is an extremely difficult prompt to address about the Tennessean, seeing as there have been so many changes as of recently, in which everyone got fired and are now reapplying for their jobs.
That said, I don't know what I would do as CEO for a day. As a reporter, my heart and allegiance lies in the newsroom, with the people I have seen working hard and writing stories, and doing their jobs diligently and passionately. I wish that every single one of them could stay in the newsroom. I would never call any of them dispensable, nor would I say that they're unnecessary.
The world of newspapers needs to change. That's the truth. Newspapers are behind the times, and a drastic change is required in order to make that change. And, change is always hard, especially when that change results in good people packing up a box full of their things and leaving their place of work.
If I were CEO for the day at the Tennessean, I would ensure that the employees knew how much I appreciated everything they've done. I'd tell them that their work is valued, and important, and that people care about what they are writing, and they should never stop doing what they love. I'd tell them that there will always be journalism, no matter what form it is delivered in.
I would never want to be CEO for the day, however. I could never make the hard decisions that would put good people out of a job.
It's very interesting that you would never want to be the CEO, and that you have so much respect for the employees of the newsroom. Starting from the bottom gives workers insight to how hard each and every person of a company has to work. Sometimes, it's clear that those higher up in the company lose sight of how hard even the people at the bottom of the spectrum have to work.
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