Does a newspaper need reporters who only follow Taylor Swift or Beyoncé? Yes, answers the Gannett Group, owner of USA Today, whose recruitment advertisement provoked curiosity and criticism, but also shows the extent to which the two artists are cultural phenomena.
The press group, owner of more than 200 daily newspapers in the United States, has reduced the number of newsrooms in recent years, embodying the crisis facing the local press. Last December, the company laid off another 6% of its media division’s 3,440 employees.
When he spotted Gannett’s very legitimate ad for a “Taylor Swift Reporter” position, followed by another similar position for Beyoncé, journalist Brad Vidmar’s blood boiled.
“I think this is a good time to remind Twitter that I am the only full-time news reporter still working at my newspaper, which was sold by Gannett in December,” he wrote on X (ex-Twitter).
His Burlington, Iowa newspaper, The Hawk Eye, was acquired in 2016 by the GateHouse publishing group, which acquired Gannett in 2019 and adopted its name to become the largest newspaper group in the country. And in late 2022, Gannett resold The Hawk Eye.
Record tour
“They continued to reduce, reduce and reduce the workforce in all areas,” explains the 41-year-old journalist. “But now of course they need someone to cover Taylor Swift,” he quips.
According to Gannett, the two columnists will be employed by USA Today and The Tennessean, the network’s newspaper in Nashville, the state capital where Taylor Swift spent part of her life.
The future Taylor Swift specialist, whose position will be added to the Tennessee’s three music journalists, will be tasked with “capturing the excitement of her current tour,” which promises to reach the $1 billion mark for the first time in music history -dollars to exceed earnings, “while providing a thoughtful analysis of his music and career.”
Not enough to convince the New York branch of the NewsGuild press union, which summarized the local news: 3. Hire a reporter, Taylor Swift.”
Tell America
“These jobs are not being created at the expense of other jobs,” Gannett’s communications director Lark-Marie Anton assured AFP. She points out that Gannett has hired 225 more journalists since March and also has more than a hundred positions open for applications.
“Taylor Swift and Beyonce Knowles-Carter are artists and businesswomen. “Their work has enormous economic impact and social significance, influencing many sectors and our culture – shaping a generation,” she adds.
Robert Thompson, founder and director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University, New York, also thought “it was a joke” when he saw the ad.
But after careful consideration, he came to the conclusion that it would be “stupid to reject it all outright.” According to him, it is an opportunity to “tell the story of America in the 21st century through its most beloved characters.”
However, Robert Thompson understands the criticism in the context of budget constraints for the local press.
He also predicts that these positions will not be the “dream careers” some claim. On the one hand, because fans of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are known for defending their idol at all costs, and the slightest negative comment on social networks can trigger an avalanche of criticism and even death threats. On the other hand, because the worlds of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are well guarded by those around them and difficult to penetrate.
Beyond the fans, “the eyes of the profession will be on these poor people when they finally get hired,” he stresses. “Your first paper should be really good.”