By Maria Sherman And David Bauder in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (AP) — This week the United States’ biggest newspaper chain posted to its site two unusual job listings: a Taylor Swift reporter and a Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter.
Gannett, which owns more than 200 daily papers, will employ these new hires through USA Today and The Tennessean, the company's Nashville-based newspaper. The job description for the Swift-focused role announced Tuesday says the company is seeking “an energetic writer, photographer and social media pro who can quench an undeniable thirst for all things Taylor Swift with a steady stream of content across multiple platforms."
“Seeing both the facts and the fury, the Taylor Swift reporter will identify why the pop star’s influence only expands, what her fanbase stands for in pop culture, and the effect she has across the music and business worlds,” the company's website says.
Gannett announced Wednesday it'll also hire a reporter dedicated to covering Beyoncé. The company says it's looking for a writer who is “capable of a text and video-forward approach, who can capture Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s effect not only on the many industries in which she operates, but also on society.”
Online criticism of these new roles come in part because of major layoffs at Gannett, where the workforce has shrunk 47% in the last three years due to layoffs and attrition, according to the NewsGuild. At some newspapers, the union said the headcount has fallen by as much as 90%. Last year alone, Gannett cut about 6% of its roughly 3,440-person U.S. media division.
Some journalists criticized the listings for presenting superfan behavior as a full-time journalism job, especially as job opportunities shrink and music journalists are paid low wages. And that’s compounded by the existential crises of the job, which is beholden to music streaming, algorithms and clicks.
Both of the Gannett positions require five years of journalism experience working in a digital-first newsroom and the ability to travel internationally. The hourly rates for these roles is listed in a range of $21.63 and $50.87.
Omise’eke Tinsley, academic and author of “Beyoncé in Formation: Remixing Black Feminism,” says this type of role makes space for more positive stories about Black women.
But also, she adds, the existence of both jobs directly reflects Beyoncé and Swift’s economic power. “If there wasn’t that component to it, there wouldn’t be a Beyoncé reporter,” Tinsley said.
It is not uncommon for journalists to develop a beat on a specific figure, particularly in politics — as evidenced by Amy Chozick, who the New York Times hired in 2013 to cover Hilary Clinton exclusively. But most entertainment journalists are responsible for reporting on a wide range of talent — even if they are subject matter experts on a specific artist.
That was the case for Los Angeles Times reporter Suzy Exposito, who called herself an “unofficial” beat reporter on popular reggaetonero Bad Bunny because she spent a disproportionate amount of time in a previous job covering him compared to other priorities.
“His near-weekly output became really overwhelming, and it took away focus from a lot of other artists who were also making compelling work,” Exposito said. “He's so prolific that I think I literally ran out of new words to describe him at some point. He could use his own reporter, too.”
She said a major challenge for entertainment journalists is the sheer volume of releases from pop artists. "The business of music is a numbers game,” Exposito said. “Hit records become deluxe editions become sold-out world tours, and it can be dizzying for a general music journalist to keep up with when the market is flooded with more releases than ever before.”
So, are artist-specific jobs the future of music journalism?
“It is a bit odd, but Taylor Swift Inc., I guess you would call it, is a big economic driver right now,” said Eric Grode, director of the Goldring Arts Journalism and Communications program at Syracuse University. “Taylor Swift is doing a lot of newsworthy things beyond just selling concert tickets, so a reporter would have a lot of good material to work with.”
If a reporter takes the job seriously and provides more than breathless concert coverage, their established expertise could be valuable for a news organization, Grode said. Still, there are very few musicians who have such a wide cultural reach.
Some journalists pointed out that while hiring these massively popular artist-specific roles reflect their influence in pop culture, they do fail to invest in local journalism at a company known for its local dailies.
“At a time when so much serious news and local reporting is being cut, it’s a decision to raise some questions about,” Rick Edmonds, an expert at the journalism think tank Poynter Institute, said of the new positions.
“There lies the question of SEO — which is essential to drawing traffic to digital media sites — and the fact that people are more likely to click on stories about Taylor or Beyoncé makes it a pretty obvious motivating factor in designating beat reporters to them," Exposito said. "Digital media is now competing with fan accounts on social media — not when it comes to accuracy, but when it comes to being the first source to report on pop stars’ developments.”
Top artists prioritize the attention and work of expert reporters, leading to what critic Soraya Roberts has called a " culture of sameness " — yet another barrier to local arts coverage.
Tinsley believes that posts on social media criticizing the focus of these new roles may reflect a culture of sexism. “Adding to the pantheon of what figures and representatives matter has the potential to do something important,” she said. “I believe some of the dismissals (of these roles) have to do with what we value and don't value as a society — and I think there’s an implicit misogyny in it."
Representatives for Swift and Beyoncé did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
feature image: Beyonce accepts the award for best dance/electronic music album for "Renaissance" at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) Chris Pizzello
