The Atlantic Announces Joshua Partlow, Ariel Sabar, and Sebastian Smee as Staff Writers
The Atlantic has announced the hiring of three new staff writers: Ariel Sabar, Joshua Partlow, and Sebastian Smee. The new recruits bring expertise in narrative reporting, environmental issues, and visual arts to the publication.
Why it matters
Staffing changes at major legacy publications often signal shifts in editorial focus and long-term content strategy.
From left: Joshua Partlow, Ariel Sabar (photo by Mary Beth Meehan), and Sebastian Smee (photo by Amber Davis Tourlentes) June 23, 2026, 1:12 PM ET Share Save The Atlantic is announcing the hires of three new staff writers: Ariel Sabar , who has contributed to The Atlantic as a freelancer since 2015, and Joshua Partlow and Sebastian Smee , both joining from The Washington Post. Joshua will cover extreme weather and natural disasters. Ariel will focus on in-depth narrative reporting. Sebastian will write widely about visual art and its influence on modern life and culture. More details from our editors about all three journalists follow:
The article is a straightforward corporate announcement regarding personnel changes.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in