Award-winning journalist with 1,600+ stories that have made people laugh, cry, and occasionally storm the comments section. I wrote a viral piece about Home Depot's 12-foot skeleton that hit 5M+ impressions, got Kate Winslet to dish about her favorite Philly restaurant during our Mare of Easttown interview (not telling), and framed Mike Flanagan's Midnight Mass as the best vampire show of the decade you probably haven't watched— 2M+ readers agreed.
But here's the thing: I'm not just an entertainment journalist. Before the world knew 38th and Chicago as George Floyd Square, I was covering community meetings about corridor violence in Minneapolis. I've reported on racial disparities in Minnesota's child welfare system, immigration detention of Central American mothers in Pennsylvania (one investigation ended up in Haverford College's curriculum), and analyzed UCLA diversity data that drew congressional responses. I've survived two media layoffs and a role redundancy with my sense of humor mostly intact.
Named Philadelphia's Culture Reporter of the Year (2018) by the Pen and Pencil Club, two years into my career. Led a five-person team at Newsweek to 1M+ monthly views. Bilingual (English/Spanish) with roots in the Cuban and Puerto Rican diaspora, I've covered Venezuelan refugees in Philadelphia and Latino communities navigating between cultures across the country. It's not just a beat— it's lived experience. (And learning Portuguese and Italian just for kicks.)
What makes me different? I genuinely love the controlled chaos of breaking news— like a creature feature, the faster it moves, the more alive I feel. I can edit 25 stories in a shift without breaking a sweat. I'm drawn to early morning, overnight, evening, and weekend roles (my circadian rhythm has never been conventional). And I write everything from 200-word quick-hits to 3,000-word enterprise explainers.
Miami-born, Houston roots, Philly-seasoned, Minneapolis-forged.
M.A. Journalism, NYU. B.A. English, Haverford College.
Available immediately for remote or hybrid roles. Whatever it takes to chase the story.
📱 305-606-2505
🔗 linkedin.com/in/monicamariezorrilla
📝 tinyurl.com/mmzportfolio
If you're looking for someone who can write clean, compelling copy under deadline pressure, manage teams with empathy and high standards, and genuinely loves the weird, wonderful world of digital journalism and print media, let's talk.