Monica Phillips
(She/They)
As seen in:
MSN,
MSN Canada,
Flipboard,
DualShockers,
GameRant,
NewsBreak,
Hardcore Gamer,
Indie Game Culture,
TheGameSlayer
Covers:
Gaming, Technology, LGBTQ+
She/They/It Nonbinary | 22 | Pan/Asexual | Game Journalist | ✝️ | @cablll @Midnightthebree @lilavixpriv💙| i:@cablll & me | Art:@ArtsyMonica | @BladeBounceGame
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Working for Venture 4th Media on a website called AvidAchievers.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes, but only for a few minutes.
How is social media changing news?
Twitter, at least, makes news always spin in a negative light, whereas something like TikTok is more hopeful. I feel this causes a divide.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Always go out of your way to answer questions and write about something passionately, even when it's difficult or tiring.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I prefer to be given the title and general idea of an article, along with any strict specifications for something such as word count.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
I use Grammarly, along with whatever software the company I'm freelancing for asks, namely WordPress or Emaki.
What's your favorite social network?
Twitter, despite its flaws and intense downward spiral, has somehow kept me on it for years.
Who do you wish followed you?
Brian David Gilbert.
Why did you become a journalist?
I enjoy writing, feeling my fingers deliver the messages coming from my head and onto the screen, plus video games are cool.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did not, as I was homeschooled.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I feel I did an incredible job on an opinion piece for IndieGameCulture, going over where AAA games falter in LGBTQ representation.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Write from the heart, and if you have to limit yourself to make ends meet, so be it, but the best writing comes when you're most comfortable.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Whenever, but there's no guarantee I'll see it right away.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
Making a guide for getting every strawberry in Celeste took a long time, and it was difficult, but I loved it.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Writing about "How to Fly Free in Star Citizen", for one, it's Free Fly, and two, is such a simple topic that it didn't need a whole article.
What's your favorite drink?
Coffee.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
I enjoy cooking and making coffee, as well as drawing.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
I quite enjoy reading articles on Polygon.
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.