It’s not every day a local news opening gets international attention. But, like pretty much everything else Taylor Swift touches, a job listing from The Tennessean and parent company Gannett for a “Taylor Swift Reporter” made sparks fly on Tuesday.

A new era in your career is coming …Ready For It? 💫 @USATODAY and @Tennessean are enchanted to announce we seek an experienced, video-forward reporter to cover @taylorswift13. Sound like the job of your wildest dreams? You could be the 1. Apply here:  https://t.co/pAu4Dhf5GK pic.twitter.com/0S7d3wpvkV

— USA TODAY NETWORK PR (@USATODAY_PR) September 12, 2023

The Guardian called the gig “a Taylor Swift fan’s wildest dream.” The New York Times, NPR, The Evening Standard, The Hill, Daily Beast, TheWrap, Variety, and CNBC ran stories. (And with this post? It’s me, hi, I’m the problem.)

Here’s the listing:

Taylor Swift Reporter

USA TODAY and The Tennessean/tennessean.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, seeking an experienced, video-forward journalist to capture the music and cultural impact of Taylor Swift.

Swift’s fanbase has grown to unprecedented heights, and so has the significance of her music and growing legacy. We are looking for an energetic writer, photographer and social media pro who can quench an undeniable thirst for all things Taylor Swift with a steady stream of content across multiple platforms. Seeing both the facts and the fury, the Taylor Swift reporter 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.

The successful candidate is a driven, creative and energetic journalist able to capture the excitement around Swift’s ongoing tour and upcoming album release, while also providing thoughtful analysis of her music and career.

We are looking for a journalist with a voice — but not a bias — able to quickly cultivate a national audience through smart content designed to meet readers on their terms. This reporter will chronicle the biggest moments on the next portions of Taylor Swift’s tour, offering readers of USA TODAY, The Tennessean and more than 200 local news sources an inside view.

Swift moved with her family to Tennessee as a teenager. It sounds like Gannett sees this role as more than a local gig, however. The listing stipulates that “this journalist must be willing (and legally allowed) to travel internationally.” Applicants should have a “willingness to travel extensively” and the “ability to report in more than one language [is] preferred.”

Local news reporters know low pay all too well. Gannett lists an hourly rate “between $21.63 and $50.87.”  At 40 hours/week that’d land somewhere between $45,000 to $105,000 a year.

Responses have ranged from “sign me up” to “journalism is doomed” to “RIP this person’s mentions.” Another strand could be summed up as something like “hm, this is rich coming from Gannett.” America’s largest newspaper chain is something of an anti-hero in the local news industry, doing more than any other company in the U.S. to shrink local news with round after round of layoffs.

“As Taylor Swift’s fan base has grown to unprecedented heights, so has the influence of her music and growing legacy — not only on the industry but on our culture,” Gannett’s chief content officer, Kristin Roberts, said in a statement shared with the Times. “She is shaping a generation and is relevant, influential and innovative — just like us.”

A spokesperson told me Gannett has hired 225 journalists since Roberts joined in March 2023. The company is “actively” recruiting for more than 100 open roles. On Wednesday, Gannett added another open listing: for a “Beyoncé Knowles-Carter Reporter” also with The Tennessean. (Gannett declined to comment on why these positions are based out of The Tennessean and whether they plan to list additional roles dedicated to individual artists.)

Get in Formation! @USATODAY and @Tennessean are seeking a @Beyonce Reporter to specialize in all things Queen Bey. 👑🐝 Are you ready to #Beyonslay? Apply here: https://t.co/q1gR4XlUwP #TeamGannett pic.twitter.com/jyFAIsoGEE

— USA TODAY NETWORK PR (@USATODAY_PR) September 13, 2023

Still, it’s been death by a thousand cuts for many local newsrooms and Gannett laid off 6% of its news staff in December. Even with this new hire you could say Gannett is leaving a…blank space where local news used to be.

I know everyone is dunking on this, but I’m going to add on.

Last year @Gannett laid off at least 600 ppl and stopped filling 400 jobs. People had to wait almost 2 months for their severance, which btw was capped at 26 years.

Local this, local that. Where are the priorities? https://t.co/hHDZdFSu6P

— Kati Kokal (@katikokal) September 13, 2023

legitimately smart. they should take this further – give this reporter a subscriber-only newsletter. https://t.co/gIQyzXgnpr

— Max Tani (@maxwelltani) September 12, 2023

Nashville is getting a Taylor Swift reporter

Memphis is still without an investigative reporter https://t.co/lmamf8Vrjq

— Laura D. Testino 〽️ (@ldtestino) September 12, 2023

gannett is hiring a taylor swift reporter without a “bias” so basically they’re just asking swifties to lie on their applications pic.twitter.com/jdY66wc9lT

— grace s. deng is @gracesdeng.bsky.social (@gracesdeng) September 12, 2023

My mentions are already tough enough to handle covering politics. I don’t think I’d have the strength to deal with an inbox full of Swifties. 😂 https://t.co/JKVbYwmwOO

— Catherine Griwkowsky (@CGriwkowsky) September 12, 2023

Posting because maybe a friend wants this job, but also: This is kind of incredible – not only because it’s an actual music writing job in 2023, but also. Has anyone ever heard of a single-artist reporter job before? https://t.co/VnGjQfXSKF

— Carl Wilson (@carlzoilus) September 12, 2023

Is Gannett secretly run by PopCrave… what is going on… also wasn’t the time to recruit these reporters before this summer of mega-tours started… https://t.co/AhOEdueSLb

— Blake Montgomery (@blakersdozen) September 13, 2023

If you’re ready for “The Tennessean (Taylor’s Version),” you can read the job listing here.