Gannett, the largest newspaper chain in the United States, seems to have faced a challenge when trying to find an unbiased reporter to cover Taylor Swift for The Tennessean and USA Today.
It’s not surprising that finding someone who isn’t a self-proclaimed “Swiftie” would be difficult.
However, Gannett took a different approach by hiring Bryan West, a fan of Swift with an extensive journalism background, to become the full-time Taylor Swift reporter for The Tennessean.
West is a veteran journalist with notable achievements, including two Emmy awards and the Alfred I. du-Pount Columbia University Award.
"I would say this position’s no different than being a sports journalist who’s a fan of the home team." ⏬https://t.co/2YGwG8ENTi
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 7, 2023
While being a fan of Swift, West also possesses the necessary qualifications to cover the popstar.
“I have been a fan-slash-expert of Taylor even when she was canceled during Reputation,” West said, via The Tennessean. “It almost feels like all the roads I’ve been on are merging for this position.”
In an exclusive interview with Variety, West compared his new role to that of a sports journalist who supports the home team.
He sees himself as a fan of Taylor, but one who also has the journalistic background and professionalism to cover her career, societal impact, and business ventures.
“I would say this position’s no different than being a sports journalist who’s a fan of the home team,” West said. “I just came from Phoenix, and all of the anchors there were wearing Diamondbacks gear; they want the Diamondbacks to win. I’m just a fan of Taylor and I have followed her, her whole career, but I also have that journalistic background: going to Northwestern, winning awards, working in newsrooms across the nation. I think that’s the fun of this job is that, yeah, you can talk Easter eggs, but it really is more of the seriousness, like the impact that she has on society and business and music.”
West’s statement about his role as a Taylor Swift reporter being no different than a sports journalist supporting the home team raises some concerns.
“I would say this position’s no different than being a sports journalist who’s a fan of the home team.”
Journalists who cover professional sports teams are expected to maintain objectivity, despite personal information.
While it can be easier to write about a winning team, journalists are not supposed to openly root for them.
