Senior Writer, Culture

Location:

WIRED is seeking an experienced senior writer for our culture desk. Reporting to WIRED’s Director of Consumer Tech & Culture, you’ll cover the creators and communities that shape the internet every day. 

In this role, you’ll contribute to WIRED’s culture coverage, which encompasses everything from MAHA and wo/manosphere influencers and internet rabbit holes to fun scene reports and novel breakdowns on how AI is changing how we relate to each other. We’re looking for a reporter with experience covering internet culture in a substantive way and a demonstrated ability to break news. We’re less interested in the dollars and cents of the influencer economy and film reviews than we are in the human stories behind breakout moments online.

Our priority is ambitious, impactful work. That can take many forms: a major scoop, a well-timed stunt, a deeply reported investigation, a special project. You should be brimming with ideas, deeply sourced—or able to find the right sources—and enthusiastic. 

To be successful in this position you should have a good eye for surprising angles on stories and the ability to spot the wider significance of a new development. You should be entrenched enough in digital culture to be the first to spot major trends or breakout moments rather than react to them. You should also be a sharp and clever writer, who avoids cliches and jargon. Most of all, you should know when to take the absurd thing seriously and vice versa; a sense of fun and humor, and the ability to bring that to WIRED audiences, is a must. 

You’ll work closely not only with the culture desk, but also collaborate with other colleagues across the newsroom as coverage demands. You’ll also collaborate frequently with WIRED’s digital video team to help  bring the best of WIRED to platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram Reels. 

This role is part of a growing and increasingly global newsroom of smart, kind, nerdy, and well-informed colleagues who are always brimming with ideas and eager to help each other out.

This position is a hybrid role, and candidates must be based out of a WIRED office in New York or San Francisco.

Primary/Ongoing Responsibilities: 

• Report and write at least six stories per month, juggling shorter news pieces with longer, differentiated enterprise work and features

• Pitch, report, and write stories on online culture, intersecting with tech, politics, and online communities  

• Collaborate with other members of the culture desk, and journalists from across the WIRED newsroom, to ensure that our culture coverage is smart, nuanced, and groundbreaking

• Collaborate with audio, video, events, and social media teams as needed to develop ways of telling stories on other platforms

• Work collaboratively with global colleagues on all relevant stories or packages

• Additional projects/stories as assigned

Skills and qualifications:

• At least 5 years experience reporting specifically on culture and building expertise on this beat; more experience on other beats is welcome

• A proven track record of scoops and the ability to consistently break culture news

• A proven ability to publish consistently (multiple stories per week) in a digital setting

• Strong organizational skills with demonstrated ability to manage a constantly evolving workload and prioritize appropriately

• Experience and passion for delivering big, ambitious coverage, particularly around internet culture

• A clear, engaging, jargon-free writing style

The expected base salary range for this position is from $95,000-$120,000. Salary offers are based on a wide range of factors including but not limited to relevant skills, training, experience, and education.

This is a guild position.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply below, and we will review your application as soon as possible. You can update your resume or upload a cover letter at any time by accessing your candidate profile.

Condé Nast is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, familial status and other legally protected characteristics.