Shehzil Zahid

Shehzil Zahid is an accomplished journalist and editor with a robust portfolio in news reporting, news editing, fact-checking, ghostwriting and thought leadership content. Her work spans a variety of high-impact platforms including the Toronto Star, iPolitics, and Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Shehzil has three-and-a-half years of news editing experience with The Star’s newsletter product, “First Up” and two-and-a-half years of news writing and editing experience with iPolitics’ newsletters, “QP Briefing” and “The Daily Watch.” Shehzil also has a strong foundation in fact-checking and investigative reporting, with her work contributing to clemency efforts and cultural preservation narratives. At AFP, she applies rigorous verification methodologies, strengthening content credibility and compliance with editorial standards. Her experience includes reporting on incarcerated individuals for Gothamist, leading to a successful clemency case, and profiling cultural activists for Atlas Obscura.

A key part of Shehzil’s expertise lies in finance and fintech journalism. At Tearsheet, she covered topics such as BNPL (Buy Now Pay Later) services, cannabis lending, and industry marketing strategies. Since 2021, she has provided ghostwritten thought leadership content for Caliber Corporate Advisers, focusing on fintech trends, regulatory changes, financial services innovation, and market analysis—producing SEO-optimized content tailored for C-suite audiences.

This dual focus on news and ghostwriting makes her a unique asset in the intersection of financial journalism and strategic communication. Shehzil is also a Fulbright Scholar, with a Master’s in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.

Have a look at her experience:

Freelance
Writer & Editor (Remote)
– Fact-checking for Agence France-Presse (AFP). Feb 2024 – present.
– Writer for The Daily Watch, an iPolitics newsletter. Feb 2023 – April 2025.
– Writer for QP Briefing, an iPolitics newsletter. Feb 2023 – April 2025.
– Editor for First Up, a Toronto Star newsletter. Mar 2022 – May 2025.
– Thought leadership content ghostwriting for Caliber Corporate Advisers, primarily focusing on finance and fintech. Nov 2021 – present.
– Reported and wrote on a Honduran and Garifuna woman’s aspirations to protect and preserve her community’s culture through food. Published with Atlas Obscura. Sept 2021.

Tearsheet.co (Remote)
Finance & Fintech Journalist
Reported on the cross-section of banking and financial technology, covering BNPLs, product analyses, industry marketing trends, and cannabis lending. Samples available, work is behind a paywall.  April – Oct 2021

Incarcerated New Yorkers Ask Governor Cuomo For Clemency
Reporter
Freelance for Gothamist, a newspaper in New York City. The story focuses on incarcerated people seeking clemency. The media I produced on the project was also used by Yohannes “Knowledge” Johnson’s legal team for his clemency application. He was granted clemency and released in November 2024. Aug – Dec 2020.

Skills
Software/Platforms: HTML/CSS, Avid Pro Tools, Adobe Premiere Pro, Audition, Wix.com, WordPress.com, Microsoft Office.
Hardware: Canon, Marantz III.
Research: Access World News, NYC Neighborhood & Community District Research, Social Explorer & Nexis Uni.
Language: native Urdu speaker, English fluency, relatively fluent in Punjabi.

Education:
MA in Journalism, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY.

Scholarships & Awards
Scholarships: $80, 000, Foreign Fulbright Student Program, 2019; $10, 000, CUNY, 2019-2020.
Awards: $4000, CUNY, 2020.