I would not want to be in charge of the financial operations of a print publication these days. It's a grim job, I suspect.
I got decently familiar with both the Editor in Chief and the Managing Editor for the Reader, both of whom were very nice. While I partly longed to achieve their status some day, I also don't envy the decisions they've had to make.
If I was CEO, I would do my best to find a way to keep print alive. I know it's unlikely the decision most people would make but I would at least try to make it work. Also, depending on the budgetary constraints, I'd do my best to pay writers by salary, not by story. Story-by-story pay is bleak and I'd want to entice writers with at least some semblance of job security.
Also, I would get free lunch in the office as much as possible. If there's one thing I've learned journalists love, it's free food.
I think you make a good point about paying writers by salary rather than by story. Perhaps this would even cater to your goal of keeping print alive. If writers feel a greater sense of job security writing for a print publication because they are being paid a consistent salary, more writers would potentially join the company and for a longer time.
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