Think about the task of reporting on all things Taylor Swift: her music; her business enterprises such as tours, movies and merchandise; her life and the media coverage it receives; and the effect she has on her fans’ lives and on pop culture itself.
What professional experience would make a person well-suited for the job? Should that person know a lot about Taylor Swift, for instance? Should the reporter have a history of being a fan? A critic? A neutral observer? Should whoever gets the job also be well-versed in pop music, celebrity culture or anything else?
Is there anyone in your life who might be good at the job? Is it you?
In “A Dedicated Taylor Swift Reporter Faces Swift Criticism,” Madison Malone Kircher writes about what happened after the newspaper chain Gannett announced that it had hired someone to cover the pop superstar. The article begins:
Everything has changed for Bryan West.
Gannett, the largest newspaper chain in the United States, announced on Monday that Mr. West would fill a much-coveted job as the company’s first-ever Taylor Swift reporter, covering all things related to the international pop sensation for USA Today and Gannett’s network of more than 200 other papers across the country.
But before Mr. West, 35, had the chance to file his first story on his new beat, he was getting criticism from two sides: journalism watchdogs and Ms. Swift’s fans.
The objections started rolling in shortly after Variety broke the news of his hiring on Monday. The article included an interview with Mr. West, which provided newsroom ethicists and Swifties alike with grounds for complaint.
Mr. West, who was formerly a TV news reporter in Phoenix, raised hackles by describing himself as “a fan of Taylor.” That remark caused some journalists to question whether or not he could be unbiased when it came to his new beat. At the same time, the singer’s fans debated whether he was a big enough Swiftie to capture their beloved star. Some people in both camps said the job was better suited to a woman.
In the Variety interview, Mr. West likened himself to a sports reporter in making the case that he could maintain his neutrality. “I would say this position’s no different than being a sports journalist who’s a fan of the home team,” he said. “I just came from Phoenix, and all of the anchors there were wearing Diamondbacks gear; they want the Diamondbacks to win.”
That remark did not sit well with a number of sportswriters, including Frankie de la Cretaz, a Boston-based sports and culture journalist.
“Any sports journalist will tell you the No. 1 rule of sports journalism is no cheering in the press box,” Mx. de la Cretaz, 38, said. “It’s one of the hallmarks of the profession. It’s one of the first things you learn. The idea, of course, being that if you are a fan of the team, that you can’t be an unbiased reporter.”
The article also quotes journalists who weigh in on how they think Mr. West is likely to perform in his new role:
Though critical of Mr. West’s reference to how sports journalists go about their jobs, Mx. de la Cretaz said they had sympathy for Gannett’s splashy hire.
“This is a brutal fan base, and I don’t think there was ever going to be any winning for whoever they hired into this role,” Mx. de la Cretaz said. “Either he doesn’t get respect from the general public because he’s a fan and seen as biased or he doesn’t get respect from the fandom itself because he’s not the right kind of fan.”
Bill Grueskin, a professor and former dean at Columbia Journalism school, said that Mr. West’s passion for his subject could yield fine reporting. He also threw some cold water on Mr. West’s critics within the field.
“I think expecting journalists to completely suspend any kind of personal liking for a pop star or a baseball team is probably unworkable,” he said. “The key is kind of how you go about covering it.”
Students, read the entire article and then tell us:
Which, if any, of the various criticisms of Mr. West’s appointment to the position of Taylor Swift reporter do you think are valid?
Do you think Gannett made a good choice in hiring Mr. West? Why or why not?
What do you think will be the most difficult aspects of the job? What will be the most rewarding?
The article quotes a social media post by Benjamin Goggin, an NBC News editor, in which he criticizes Gannett for hiring “a full stan, rather than someone who is capable of being critical of one of the most powerful people in all of pop culture.” Do you think that a fan can be impartial? On the other hand, would someone who isn’t a fan have the expertise to do the job well?
If you were a reporter covering a person you admire or a team that you root for, how would you maintain the level of objectivity that is essential to the profession?
What do you think of the job of a dedicated Taylor Swift reporter? Is there anyone else you think newspapers should devote such resources to? If so, who, and why? If not, why not?
Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.
Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.