Staff writer for Pasatiempo Magazine

Date Posted	October 06, 2026
Industry	Newspapers
Job Status	Not Specified
Salary	Not Specified

Description:

Help tell the stories of Santa Fe's — and New Mexico's — creative landscape.

Pasatiempo, the weekly arts and culture magazine of The Santa Fe New Mexican, is looking for a talented, curious Staff Writer to join our small but mighty editorial team.

We're looking for someone who loves a good story — and knows how to find one. Someone who can move comfortably from a thoughtful artist profile to a lively music feature, from a breaking arts organization story to a smart take on a new exhibition. Someone who is equally interested in what's happening now, why it matters, and what readers will want to know next.

This is a reporting and writing job at its core, but it's also a chance to help shape what arts and culture journalism looks like in a changing media landscape.

What you'll do

You'll develop, report, and write a wide range of stories for our weekly print magazine and digital platforms, covering the people, ideas, events, and creative forces shaping New Mexico and beyond.

You will:

• Develop and pitch original story ideas that inform, surprise, entertain, and engage readers.
• Report and write features, profiles, news stories, departments, briefs, reviews, previews, Q&As, and other editorial content.
• Interview artists, performers, cultural leaders, organizations, experts, newsmakers, and community members while developing and maintaining a strong network of sources.
• Bring curiosity, strong reporting, and a distinctive voice to stories while working within Pasatiempo's editorial standards and style.
• Work closely with editors, photographers, and art directors to develop compelling editorial packages and identify visual elements that deepen the storytelling.
• Participate in editorial meetings and contribute ideas about stories, trends, audiences, and new approaches to coverage.
• Work across print, digital, and social platforms, adapting stories and ideas for different audiences and formats.
• Look for new ways to engage readers through emerging storytelling formats, digital tools, newsletters, video, audio, and other evolving platforms.
• Pay attention to changing trends in journalism, publishing, and audience behavior, and bring fresh ideas to the newsroom.
• Bring an ability to prioritize work and collaborate with others, a strong level of integrity, and a sense of humility, and be deadline-driven and solutions-based.

Who you are

You're an experienced journalist and a strong writer who is just as comfortable asking a smart question as writing a sharp sentence.

You have:

• At least four years of reporting or writing experience, preferably at a daily or weekly newspaper, magazine, arts and culture publication, or comparable outlet.
• A bachelor's degree in journalism, English or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong reporting, interviewing, research, and writing skills.
• The ability to produce polished work on weekly and daily deadlines.
• A keen eye for an interesting story — and the initiative to pursue it.
• A deep curiosity about arts, culture, entertainment, and the world around you. Experience or interest in visual arts, music, or performing arts is a plus.
• Strong organizational skills and meticulous attention to accuracy, grammar, names, dates and details.
• The ability to juggle multiple assignments without losing sight of quality or deadlines.
• Experience with digital and social media platforms and an interest in how publishing is changing.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
• An openness to new ideas, technologies, and ways of telling stories.
• An understanding of inclusive language and a commitment to representing a broad range of voices and perspectives.
• A collaborative spirit, a sense of humor, accountability, and the willingness to listen, learn and contribute.

Help shape what comes next

The media landscape is changing quickly, and so is the way people discover and experience arts and culture — even in a deep and well-established arts community like Santa Fe.

We want a writer who is interested in that evolution, not just someone who can produce a story for next week's magazine. You'll have opportunities to experiment with new formats and digital tools, think about how stories can travel across platforms, and help us find creative ways to build deeper relationships with readers.

In other words, we're looking for someone who can report the story and think about how people will want to experience it.

About Pasatiempo

For more than three decades, Pasatiempo has been a destination for arts and culture coverage in New Mexico, connecting readers with the artists, performers, ideas, exhibitions, food, film, and cultural experiences that make this place extraordinary.

We're part of The Santa Fe New Mexican, the oldest newspaper in the Southwest, and we believe local journalism is at its best when it is smart, curious, deeply reported, and connected to the community it serves.

If you're excited by the prospect of covering a remarkably creative place — and helping imagine the future of arts journalism — we'd love to hear from you.

This is a full-time position. The position may be hybrid based on performance and with approval of the editor and management, subject to business needs. The position requires some non-standard hours and travel. A valid driver's license is required; access to a personal vehicle is preferred.

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Carolyn Graham, Pasatiempo Editor, at cgraham@sfnewmexican.com.

The Santa Fe New Mexican is an equal opportunity employer, a Certified Family Friendly Business, and participates in E-Verify.