At the moment it will not have its own daily section in the United States newspapers, but it is almost there: Taylor Swift already has her first full-time journalist. After several weeks in which the Gannett newspaper chain, one of the largest in the United States, offered the job of a swiftie journalist, today that search has concluded.
The lucky one is Bryan West, who, from now on, will work in the USA Today newsroom to write solely and exclusively about Taylor Swift. Any other news that he does not have to do with the American news will not be part of his task. And he sees this as completely normal. Speaking to Variety, he stated that “this position is no different from that of a sports journalist focused on his local team.” “I’m a Taylor fan and have followed her throughout her career, but I also have journalistic experience.”
Michael Anastasi, vice president of local news for the network, spoke about what the selection process was like: “We were very satisfied with the quality of the candidates. There was everything from veteran reporters, including at least one well-established White House reporter, to swifties who blog and are influencers. And, of course, there were several fans who simply followed their dreams and hoped they would win the lottery. But in the end we are left with someone who I think has the perfect balance between being a veteran journalist with great informative talent and someone who understands everything about Taylor’s world and the universe he is entering.
Anastasi has also clarified that West will be anywhere that involves Taylor Swift, whether interacting with the fandom, on red carpets, at tour stops or at award shows. In fact, she will be at the Country Music Awards in Nashville as part of her first week on the job. But the truth is that Swift is not nominated nor is she expected to attend. She did not want to confess to Variety if her mission will consist of asking the attending stars what their favorite song from the ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ vault is.
West wanted to clarify that he will be critical of Taylor Swift when necessary. What do you say the proof is? He knows how to mention the artist’s least favorite songs: ‘Stay Stay Stay’, ‘False God’ and ‘It’s Nice To Have A Friend’. He has also confessed her favorites: ‘All Too Well (10 Minute Version)’, ‘Long Live’, ‘I Did Something Bad’, ‘Death By A Thousand Cuts’ and ‘Wildest Dreams’.
In response to criticism that may arise from those who believe that it is an insult to create this type of work while traditional positions are being cut left and right in the journalism industry, Michael Anastasi has declared that “this is part of a very transformation strategy. deliberate to become the company we need to grow, prosper and be in a position to serve all our local communities across the country in the future.
