This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things: Tennessean Seeks Dedicated Taylor Swift Reporter

A situation beyond anyone’s wildest dreams unfolded this week as news of a new job opportunity from Gannett hit social media. The media conglomerate posted a listing Sept. 12 for a Taylor Swift reporter — you read that right, a full-time reporting job dedicated solely to the coverage of country-turned-pop star Taylor Swift. The listing calls for a fearless candidate to report to both USA Today and The Tennessean, the latter of which has seen a remarkable employee turnover this year. It should be noted that The Tennessean currently employs three music reporters, but no dedicated reporter for Williamson County, among other essential beats. 

As for the new position, Gannett requests that applicants be able to engage with Swift’s robust career, have extensive knowledge of reporting across a variety of platforms and have at least five years of experience in a “digital first” newsroom. The reporter can go anywhere they want (just not home), presumably sent to follow Swift’s monumental Eras Tour, with applicants required to be willing and “legally allowed” to travel internationally. Given Taylor Swift’s penchant for three-plus-hour performances, it can be assumed that Gannett wants a reporter’s midnights as well as their days. If this sounds like your way forward, they will pay for it with an hourly wage somewhere between $21.63 and $50.87.

Reactions from the public have been decidedly mixed — many social media users were happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time upon reading the job listing. As the fallout continues, it’s clear that Gannett’s going to need a pretty fast getaway car to escape this mess. If you feel an invisible string tying you to this job opportunity, you can find more details on the full listing here.