David Plazas, opinion and engagement director at The Tennessean, has said he will soon leave his position for a job at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Plazas is responsible for projects like Tennessee Voices, an interview program that recently celebrated its fifth anniversary, and he anchored the paper’s opinion corner as a frequent columnist and member of the editorial board.
Plazas informed Scene publisher Mike Smith — also president of the Scene's parent company, FW Publishing — of his plans on Sunday. The Tennessean has not formally announced Plazas’ departure; in an email to the Scene, Plazas neither confirmed nor denied the move and declined the Scene’s request for an exit interview.
“My schedule over the next two weeks is completely full,” Plazas explained.
Since his arrival in 2014, Plazas interviewed prominent politicians and community leaders. His editorial voice often sought middle ground and compromise, an apparent reaction to the current era of hyper-partisan American politics.
During the same period, The Tennessean — first published in 1907 and sold to media giant Gannett Co. in 1979 — endured frequent staff turnover and moved from its historic Broadway headquarters to a Midtown office building. Staff photojournalist Nicole Hester earned national recognition as a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her work covering the Covenant School shooting. Longtime newsman Benjamin Goad replaced Michael Anastasi as The Tennessean’s executive editor in December.
