Zakiya has been a key player in shaping, launching, and writing a range of podcasts from the ground up, from development to post-production, including the breakout hit Hang Up. She’s the story editor (and host) of Hang Up, which was named one of the best podcasts of 2023 and 2024 by Vulture and Vogue Magazine. As the story editor, she helped turn a never-been-done-before idea into a hit show that made waves in the podcast industry, and tapped into an underrepresented demographic while also achieving mass appeal. Under her editorial leadership, she fostered a space for collaboration, commitment to ethical, compassionate and nuanced storytelling, and humor. Humor and compassion are the foundations of Zakiya’s editorial style, from her voice as a writer, to how she shows up as an editor and collaborator. Her editorial style is curious, conversation-driven, and emotionally-supportive, encouraging, and “yes and,” yet thorough, detail-oriented, and solutions-oriented. She has conversations with the producer, reporter, and/or host to learn more about the story they want to tell, and their editorial goals while also offering editorial direction. Zakiya acts as a surrogate for the listener, while also having a deep understanding of the challenges the storytellers faces, as she also has extensive experience as an audio reporter, producer, and host. Zakiya believes the role of the editor is to not just tell the team how the story should be told, but rather, be a logistical, emotional, and editorial support system for the team. She takes the time to clearly and in detail explain the “why” behind her thorough edits and notes. Zakiya always leaves space and time for questions, comments, and discussion.

Zakiya has been trained by the best editors in the audio industry to story edit a range of shows, from character-driven, long-form, narrative podcasts, to host-driven chat shows through Neon Hum’s comprehensive and highly-competitive editor bootcamp. She’s edited a range of shows from short-form audio stories to experimental podcasts to long-form narrative shows. Zakiya has experience storyboarding and co-writing a long-form, narrative, nonfiction, multi-episode podcast with multiple storylines and characters and character arcs, two different timelines within the same episodes, dozens of hours of interview and archival tape, creating thematic arcs into three act structures while maintaining an aerial view of the show’s thematic arc. Zakiya has been a story editor for a narrative, anti-colonial podcast about the intersections of science, art, and power. She also story-edited Love Right Now, an Audible podcast about forbidden love and relationships in the Middle East. Zakiya has also story edited for host-driven, conversation-based, explanatory journalism shows like Slate’s Decoder Ring and Gimlet’s Not Past It. She story-edited and scripted historical Queer West hosted by Niecy Nash for Audible. Queer West was named one of Audible’s best podcasts of 2024.

Zakiya believes that an audio show’s script is just as important as the tape, and that engaging, creative script-writing is integral to the editorial process. The script copy is not merely a means to disseminate information, but rather an opportunity to be engaging, thoughtful, creative, gripping, and emotion-filled. Zakiya writes both nonfiction and fiction. She was selected to be a radio resident at the highly-competitive Third Coast Ragdale Residency to work on her forthcoming experimental, comedic audio fiction series.

 I have years of experience inhabiting and writing for the ear from many different points of view. And while I’m highly skilled at inhabiting other people’s points of view, I’m also able to maintain my own perspective and edit and write stories through a queer, black, intersectional feminist lens.