When Gannett posted a job itemizing in September for a full-time Taylor Swift reporter you can virtually hear the digital snap of resumés flying by means of the ether as aspiring writers tripped over themselves for the potential gig of a lifetime. Now that the glitter has settled, Selection reported on Monday (Nov. 6) that the nation’s largest newspaper chain has employed 35-year-old avowed Swiftie Bryan West for the coveted gig.
The Arizona author who lately moved to Nashville for the job stated regardless of the hand-wringing and scoffing from some quarters in regards to the journalistic sense of getting a devoted Swift scribe, he doesn’t see how his new gig differs from some other reporting beat.
“I’d say this place’s no completely different than being a sports activities journalist who’s a fan of the house staff,” he stated. “I simply got here from Phoenix, and the entire anchors there have been sporting Diamondbacks gear; they need the Diamondbacks to win. I’m only a fan of Taylor and I’ve adopted her her entire profession, however I even have that journalistic background: going to Northwestern, profitable awards, working in newsrooms throughout the nation. I feel that’s the enjoyable of this job is that, yeah, you’ll be able to discuss Easter eggs, nevertheless it actually is extra of the seriousness, just like the impression that she has on society and enterprise and music.”
West got down to show his bona fides by rattling off some deep-dive Swift information and opinions, together with his ideas on the Vault songs from the singer’s new 1989 (Taylor’s Model) re-release — which debuted atop Billboard’s High Album Gross sales chart — “Now That We Don’t Discuss” and “Say Don’t Go,” the latter of which he professed to be a “large fan” of.
“If you take heed to it, she screams a concord of ‘I stated “I like you”‘ [in a bridge near the end of the track], and that’s why I actually prefer it: It’s the concord she screams that’s muted,” he stated of his favourite second within the further monitor.
West stated his background being a “one-man-band” reporter who typically shoots the video of his interviews for the digital variations of Gannett’s dailies helped him achieve a bonus within the race to rent a reporter the chain seemingly hopes will appeal to younger readers to titles from the chain that has drastically diminished workers positions over the previous 20 years.
And whereas the posting appeared like a stunt to many, Michael Anastasi, the Tennessean‘s editor — West will work out of their places of work — stated the chain was “more than happy” with the caliber of respondents. “I feel if we ended up hiring 5 extra folks, we might have extremely certified candidates” for all of the positions, he stated. “It ran the gamut from veteran hard-news reporters, together with a minimum of one very established White Home reporter, to Swifties who’ve blogs and are influencers … and naturally there have been various followers who simply had been following their goals and hoping to win the lottery. However what we ended up with was somebody who I feel has the nice steadiness between being a veteran journalist who has critical information chops and somebody who understands all the things about Taylor’s world and the universe that he’s moving into.”
The job, as laid out by the paper’s information director, isn’t a dusty, conventional “three print tales per week” grind, however quite one that may contain video, social media, interplay with Swifties, hitting exhibits, purple carpets, the CMAs and “wherever individuals are having fun with or reflecting on who Taylor Swift is.”
In reality, West — who met Swift as soon as backstage on the opening night time of her 2018 Repute tour — confirmed that he will likely be at CMA-related occasions all this week throughout his first week on the job, losing no time leaping into the fray. And, it was truly that pic, together with a brief checklist of significant story concepts that expanded right into a two-page PDF over the course of the interview course of, that secured the job.
Conscious that Swifties will be choose, jury and executioner to writers who provide up even the mildest rebukes of her artwork, West informed Selection that he addressed his objectivity in his video submission for the job by citing three of the singer’s tracks he can’t abdomen: “Keep Keep Keep,” “False God” and “It’s Good to Have a Buddy.”
Swift is the main finalist with nods in 20 classes on the 2023 Billboard Music Awards. You possibly can watch the BBMAs right here, and through Billboard and the BBMA’s social media channels on Nov. 19.