Photo Credit: Bryan West
USA Today Hires Dedicated Taylor Swift Reporter - Bryan West of Northwestern
In an unprecedented move, USA Today has hired journalist Bryan West as their first ever full-time Taylor Swift beat reporter. West, a graduate of Northwestern University's prestigious Medill School of Journalism, will cover all aspects of Swift's career from new music releases to touring and more.
While an undergraduate at the Medill School of Journalism, West reported for the Northwestern News Network and interned at the TODAY show and NBC News.
He then went on to work as a planning producer for NBC affiliate KPNX in Phoenix, general assignment reporter and investigative producer. There, West and his colleagues were honored with an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award for an investigative series on the Phoenix Fire Department’s arson unit.
The creation of this dedicated role underscores Swift's massive global popularity and the hunger fans have for news about the superstar. West is a veteran journalist from Arizona, previously covering entertainment and music for Tegna, Gannett, Arizona's AZCentral and 12 News for eight years.
In a video cover letter submitted for his application, West listed 13 reasons he is the right fit for the job — a nod to Swift’s lucky number. How fun is that? He has already made the move to Nashville to take on his new role, but his work will be shared across the entire USA Today Network, which includes more than 200 local websites and newspapers across 43 states, social media platforms, videos, newsletters, podcasts and of course USA TODAY itself.
The Taylor Swift beat is unprecedented at such a large publication like USA Today. But West's experience covering Swift's every move as a student journalist made him the perfect fit to take on the full-time role. As Swift continues to dominate charts and headlines, readers can look to West for the latest scoops direct from Swift's world.
