Sonia Rao Joins the WNYC/Gothamist Newsroom as Culture Reporter

Read more in this note from Matthew Schnipper, Culture Editor

I’m excited to announce that Sonia Rao will be joining the newsroom as our newest culture reporter. She’ll be covering the arts, with a specialty in film, television, and food. Sonia has a knack for finding the unique angle on a national story, the type of idea that makes you go, “Why didn’t I think of that?” I look forward to her take on how New York City sets the agenda for culture writ large.

Sonia has covered arts and culture for a decade, most recently as a features reporter and critic at The Washington Post. She introduced much of its national audience to the clever humor of comedians like Rachel Sennott and Julio Torres, explored the impact of grief-stricken works such as “Hamnet” and “The Voice of Hind Rajab,” and shed light on the convoluted mechanics of a successful Oscars campaign. She also wrote about the local dining scene, visiting everywhere from the local pinball bar with excellent hot dogs to a high-end Middle Eastern restaurant infused with the spirit of a Parisian bistro. Before focusing on features, she covered entertainment breaking news at The Post during the height of the #MeToo movement.

Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, Sonia spent time in Boston — as a student at Boston University and an arts correspondent at The Boston Globe — before moving to Washington, D.C. to work at The Post. She is excited to write and record for New York audiences and encourages everyone to bombard her with restaurant and wine bar recommendations.

Her first day is June 9th.