Deputy Editor, Arts & Culture

JOB DESCRIPTION

POSITION: Deputy Editor, Arts & Culture

DIVISION: WXXI Public Media + The Little Theater + City Magazine

CLASSIFICATION: Full-Time, Exempt

REPORTS TO: Executive Editor, WXXI News (dotted line to Chief Content Officer)

PAY: $70,000 to $90,000, commensurate with experience.

SUMMARY:

The Deputy Editor, Arts & Culture is a critical editorial leadership role designed to unify and elevate arts coverage across WXXI News, CITY Magazine and other platforms. This position serves as a bridge between newsroom journalism, cultural storytelling, and community engagement, ensuring a consistent, credible, and compelling editorial voice across platforms.

This role will lead the development of a cohesive arts and culture content strategy that spans digital, radio, video, social, podcasts and print, while strengthening editorial standards, mentoring contributors, and aligning coverage with WXXI’s mission to reflect and serve the full Rochester community. The Deputy Editor will guide daily coverage, oversee editorial standards, and collaborate across divisions to ensure that WXXI’s arts journalism reflects the depth, diversity, and creativity of the Rochester community.

The role will also help define how arts coverage functions as a key audience growth and engagement driver, connecting journalism, cultural storytelling, and community experience. The work will include contributing to daily coverage on pressing arts and culture news playing out in real time in the Greater Rochester region

As part of the WXXI Studios model, the Deputy Editor will also play a key role in transforming arts coverage into a driver of audience growth, community connection, and scalable content initiatives, including festivals, live events, and digital series.

WXXI News is a division of WXXI Public Broadcasting Council, an NPR and PBS affiliate. As the public media news provider in the Greater Rochester region, WXXI is committed to local, high-quality media services that strengthen the communities they serve.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS – TIME ON TASK

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

EDITORIAL FUNCTIONS – 80%

• Lead editorial vision for arts and culture coverage across WXXI News and CITY Magazine
• Establish consistent voice, tone, and editorial standards
• Develop and manage a shared editorial calendar
• Oversee cross-platform content (digital, radio, video, social, print)
• Strengthen CITY Magazine arts coverage through editing and contributor management
• Collaborate with newsroom teams to integrate arts into broader reporting
• Mentor contributors and develop new voices in arts journalism
• Increase audience engagement with arts content
• Launch scalable content franchises (festivals, series, video formats)
• Expand and Strengthen relationships with Rochester’s creative community
• Cultivate and promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
• Keep abreast of new developments in journalism broadly and share those concepts with the newsroom and the station.
• Help maintain the Airtable database by ensuring reporters file pitches and photo requests and by updating the daybook as needed.

COLLABORATIVE FUNCTIONS – 10%

• Build relationships with local artists and cultural organizations
• Partner with The Little Theatre and events team on programming
• Work with WXXI’s marketing and development arms to ensure that the impact of our investigative work is known in the community at large.
• Develop strong community relationships. Forge investigative journalism partnerships where appropriate.
• Represent WXXI in arts organizations, meetings, and events.
• Work with the WXXI News editorial team to write award submissions.
• Attend biweekly manager’s meetings.

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS – 10%

• Appear on air as needed (digital, radio, and television).

Additional duties as assigned.

Position Requirements

REQUIREMENTS

• 5–10+ years of experience in journalism, editing, or cultural criticism
• Strong editorial judgment, attention to details, and an adherence to the highest journalistic ethical standards under pressure.
• Experience across multiple platforms (digital, audio, video, print)
• Experience mentoring reporters and contributors to bring out their best work.
• Experience in newsroom and/or magazine environments preferred
• Familiarity with Rochester arts and culture landscape
• Experience with live events or festival coverage
• On-air or public moderation experience
• Commitment to inclusive, community-centered journalism

EOE Statement

WXXI is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. This policy expressly prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, genetic predisposition, gender identity or expression, carrier status, domestic violence victim status, veteran status or status as a member of any other protected group or activity.