USA Today’s parent company, Gannett, posted a job listing last week for a Taylor Swift beat reporter. The position called for a journalist who would cover exclusively Taylor Swift news including her music, her tour and her influence. 

As a journalist and a major Swiftie, I feel an obligation to say: it should have been me. 

Unfortunately, Johnny Oleksinski beat me to the punch. He left his job as an entertainment critic at The New York Post to take this job at The Tennessean, which Gannett owns. 

There is always something going on with Taylor Swift. Between the Eras World Tour, the highly anticipated “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” and an upcoming original feature film, she is always doing something newsworthy. 

For those who do not understand the singer’s mass appeal, allow me to explain. 

Taylor Swift began writing music at a very young age and released her debut album, “Taylor Swift”, at 16-years-old. Her first few albums were country and it wasn’t until she released “Red” in 2012 that she began crossing over to pop. Since then, she has dabbled in many genres, most notably alternative, with “Folklore” and “Evermore” being fan-favorites. 

She writes prolifically, but also accessibly. Her lyrics contain poetic verses but focus on themes her audience can relate to. She has songs for crying, dancing and frolicking through the woods. 

Taylor Swift is a storyteller. She has gained such a large following because people connect to her words. That’s where the obsessions begin. 

Who is she dating? Where does she live? Is she engaged? Pregnant? What’s her next move? 

I find many of these questions to be invasive. I’m guilty of dissecting her songs to figure out which ex-boyfriend it’s about and mapping out their entire relationship. I find myself wanting to know her every step and each little detail of her fascinating life. 

However, these are the things I don’t want to see in a newspaper. 

I don’t want a reporter stalking her and releasing her private information. I don’t want to read about who she went to dinner with last night or what recording studio she’s been going to in The Tennessean. 

Fame is complex (check out her song: “The Lucky One”) and as much as I would love to devote my career to writing about Taylor Swift, I don’t know if the world needs a Taylor Swift reporter. 

She is a fascinating person and many people are interested in what she is up to, but I am not feeling confident about the reporter position. 

Oleksinski wrote a column for The New York Post detailing what his job entails. I’m not sure how seriously he actually takes the job, but this piece described his work in a sarcastic way and condescended his Swiftie audience. 

“Most readers don’t even know what the United Nations is, but they are desperate to hear about Tay’s girls’ night out with Blake Lively,” he said in the column. 

I love Taylor Swift. I find her work compelling and her life exciting. However, if the Taylor Swift reporter is going to invade her privacy and talk down to the millions of people who love her as much as I do: I don’t want it. 

Categories: Arts & Entertainment