New York magazine hires five new staffers

New York editor-in-chief David Haskell announced today that Erik Maza is joining the magazine’s staff as editor-at-large; Rachel Corbett, David Freedlander, and Rebecca Jennings as features writers; and Ben Terris as Washington correspondent. Their work will span politics, the arts, fashion, internet culture, and more as the magazine staffs itself to cover a pivotal era in American life.

“I’m thrilled to have these talented features writers — Rachel, David, and Rebecca — join our staff, and know they’ll contribute the deeply reported, stylishly written pieces our audience can’t find anywhere else. They’ve all written memorable pieces for us on a freelance basis, and the stars aligned to bring them in-house,” said Haskell. “Erik has an unusually sharp eye for the stories that New York Magazine can tell, along with a sly sense of humor and a resourceful mind that will be perfect for this place. I can’t wait for him to join our editor brain trust. And, finally, the stakes have never been higher for our D.C. coverage, and I couldn’t think of anyone better to fill the role than Ben, who has impressed us for years. He’s perfectly poised to capture Trump’s Washington with the precision and wit our readers expect.”

As editor-at-large, Erik Maza will be responsible for helping shape editorial coverage, conceiving and editing features, and developing writers. His emphasis will be on developing magazine stories that explore power dynamics in elite society, and he’ll help steer the magazine’s design and style coverage. He’ll also help oversee the magazine’s annual Power Issue and other select special issues. He was most recently executive style director at Town & Country, with previous roles at W magazine, Women’s Wear Daily, and the Baltimore Sun, among other publications. He starts March 10.

Rachel Corbett joined in January as a general-interest features writer, with a special focus on arts and culture, working across the magazine and digital verticals. Her previous work for New York included a 2024 feature on the sexual-assault allegations against Kehinde Wiley. She is the author of You Must Change Your Life (2016), which won the Marfield Prize, the National Award for Arts Writing, and The Monsters We Make (coming fall 2025). Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, and other publications.

David Freedlander started in December, covering national and New York politics, with particular attention on the city as the mayoral campaign takes shape, writing a mix of columns and features. He has also written about books, the arts, and ideas for Politico Magazine, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, the Washington Post, and a number of other publications. He has contributed to New York since 2016 and is the author of The AOC Generation: How Millennials Are Seizing Power and Rewriting the Rules of American Politics (2021). His most recent feature stories for New York include a look at Donald Trump’s social-media company and a profile of Brooklyn political power broker Frank Carone.

Rebecca Jennings’s writing will be focused on internet culture along with other areas of culture, producing a combination of features and columns for the magazine and Vulture. She was previously a senior correspondent at Vox covering social platforms and the creator economy. Her previous work for New York includes profiles of controversial internet personality Trisha Paytas, the quirky platform Musical.ly, and TikTok-born artist PinkPantheress. She starts February 18.

As Washington correspondent, Ben Terris will cover the people, places, and power dynamics that are shaping national politics in Donald Trump’s second term. He will write columns and features for New York and Intelligencer. He joins the magazine after 11 years at the Washington Post, where he anchored the “Style” section’s political coverage. During his time there, he explored questions like: What’s going on with George and Kellyanne Conway? Do awkward Americans see themselves in Ron DeSantis? What’s it like to have had Representative Paul Gosar as your dentist? And: Does Senator Tim Scott have a girlfriend? He is also the author of the book The Big Break: The Gamblers, Party Animals and True Believers Trying to Win in Washington While America Loses Its Mind. He starts March 17.