Gannett Pivots To Pop Stars… So, What’s Next?

TLDR: Study Hall is hiring an Ice Spice reporter...

During the last couple of days, Gannett has unleashed chaos by uploading two job postings for USA Today and The Tennessean — Taylor Swift Reporter and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter Reporter. Both job descriptions are pretty similar, clarifying that Gannett wants “a journalist with a voice — but not a bias.” So, I guess stans will have to practice some subtlety and restraint when crafting their cover letters. 

As Corbin Bolies at The Daily Beast points out, “The headline-making job listings come as Gannett, the largest U.S. newspaper chain, has gone through a series of layoffs over the last two years that have affected dozens of its local newsrooms.” The Washington Post’s Jeremy Barr was similarly skeptical, posting on X that a “mega-viral” job description may be Gannett’s “long term business strategy.” 

Both Swift and Beyoncé are keeping the music industry afloat, and may actually be doing more to stimulate the economy than anything President Joe Biden has done (okay don’t fact check me please). It makes sense that the last vestiges of monoculture are becoming respective beats and that flailing media companies are taking a page out of the Pop Crave playbook and pivoting to stans. Honestly, I hope that instead of Gannett having a monopoly on the pop star beats, other media outlets throw their hat in the ring.

 This is what I’m thinking:

• Financial Times should hire an Addison Rae reporter (let’s really crunch the numbers on her debut EP!).
• Jewish Currents should hire a Drake reporter.
• Artforum should hire a Lady Gaga reporter (My Artforum could mean anything!)
• Pitchfork should hire an Ava Max reporter (we need a deep-dive).
• Study Hall should hire an Ice Spice reporter (that way her Dunkin’ Donuts drink can be a business expense for me!).

Have you applied to these Gannett gigs? Do you want to talk about? Or, do you want to be our Ice Spice reporter? Reach out to [email protected].