Who’s the Swiftie in the White House briefing room?
A “very established” White House reporter was reportedly among hundreds of applicants for the Taylor Swift reporter position that made headlines when Gannett listed it in September.
“We were very pleased with the caliber of the pool that we had,” Michael Anastasi, editor of the Tennessean and Gannett’s vice president of local news, told Variety.
“It ran the gamut from veteran hard-news reporters, including at least one very established White House reporter, to Swifties who have blogs and are influencers,” he added.
The job listing sought “an experienced, video-forward journalist to capture the music and cultural impact of Taylor Swift” who “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.”
Gannett, the parent company of USA Today and the Tennessean, announced Monday that it had filled the position.
Bryan West, a two-time Emmy-winning TV producer and “passionate Swiftie,” will be based in the Tennessean’s Nashville newsroom, reporting on the pop star for USA Today and the chain’s hundreds of other titles.
The tidbit about the applicants piqued the interest of social media users, including some who happen to work in the White House.
“Who is this v well established WH reporter??!” Associated Press White House reporter Seung Min Kim posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Andrew Feinberg, White House correspondent for The Independent, said it wasn’t him, “but I would like to know who it was also.”
Others were also dying to know:
To whoever it was: Sorry you missed out. Just shake it off!
(this story has not been edited by TSA Mag staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
