The New York Times is overhauling its arts and entertainment coverage by reassigning four of its best-known critics to new positions, according to an internal memo dated 15 July. The changes affect chief pop music critic Jon Pareles, television critic Margaret Lyons, chief theater critic Jesse Green and classical music critic Zach Woolfe. Culture editor Sia Michel told staff that rotating the critics will inject “different perspectives” as the section experiments with essays, video and other formats to guide readers through a rapidly evolving cultural landscape. The Times has opened a search for new critics to take over the music, TV, theater and classical beats in the coming weeks. The move is unusual for the newspaper, which routinely shifts reporters and editors but seldom its critics. Pareles has written for the paper since 1988, Lyons since 2016, Green since 2017 and Woolfe since 2015. Michel praised the quartet as “best in class” and said details of their new roles will be announced later.