The wait is over: Gannett, the largest newspaper chain in the US, has finally announced that they have been hired for the coveted job as Taylor Swift reporter at USA today. The lucky Swiftie is 35-year-old Bryan West.
It’s no wonder USA today was looking for a reporter to cover Swift full-time. The now billionaire superstar has become an economic powerhouse this year with her record-breaking Eras Tour and the $100 million blockbuster Eras Tour film. She is reshaping the music industry with the stunning successes of her re-recording projects, most recent 1989 (Taylor’s version). Swift’s impact was even noted in a Federal Reserve economic report, with analysts calling the boost it gives to local economies the “TSwift Lift.”
Her influence even extends to the NFL and beyond, as her romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce drives her legions of fans to the stadiums in Chiefs jerseys. Swift’s first appearance at a Chiefs game prompted Heinz to release a limited edition “Ketchup and Seemingly Ranch” sauce after the pop singer was spotted eating chicken with both sauces. And the origin story of the couple’s relationship has boosted sales at craft purveyors like Michaels after fans learned Kelce gifted Swift a friendship bracelet after seeing her perform.
West is of course a Swiftie. In his video resume, which listed 13 reasons why he’s a good fit for the job, he described meeting Swift in person, joking, “Our ears touched and for a moment I thought, ‘I could be straight.’ ”
But his credentials also include serious journalism. After graduating from Northwestern University, West worked as a morning show planner, investigative producer and then as a television reporter in Phoenix. He has also won several awards for his work, including two Emmys, a Murrow and a duPont.
“I would say this position is no different than being a sports journalist who is a fan of the home team,” West said Variety of his new gig. “I just came from Phoenix and all the anchors there were wearing Diamondbacks gear; they want the Diamondbacks to win. I’m just a fan of Taylor and I’ve followed her throughout her career, but I also have that journalism background: going to Northwestern, winning awards, working in newsrooms across the country.
“I think the nice thing about this work is that you can talk about Easter eggs, but it’s really more about the seriousness, like the impact she has on society, business and music,” he added.
Bloggers, influencers and political reporters have all signed up
When Gannett listed the job in September — along with a reporting job for Beyoncé — some speculated that it was just a publicity stunt and that the publication was not looking for a legitimate journalist for the role. “After all, everything she touches turns to gold,” as one fan put it. But Michael Anastasi, the editor of the Tennessean and Gannet’s vice president of local news, told Variety that this assumption was incorrect.
The applicants “ranged from experienced hard news reporters, including at least one very established White House reporter, to Swifties who have blogs and are influencers… and of course there were some fans who were just following their dreams and hoping to win the lottery,” said Anastasi.
“But what we ended up with was someone who I think has the right balance between an experienced journalist who has serious news reporting and someone who understands everything about Taylor’s world and the universe he’s in,” he added.
West will work out of the Tennesean newsroom USA today and the chain’s local newspapers, but he will do more than just write about Swift.
“He will appear on video, on social media, interacting with Swifties, and out and about at tour stops, on red carpets, at the CMAs, where people are enjoying or thinking about who Taylor Swift is. is,” said Ben Goad, Tennessean news director and West’s manager Variety.
“There is no shortage of things to write.”