vox: 215-923-7978
snail mail:
220 Locust St., 24e/f, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Bruce Schimmel founded the alternative newsweekly, the Philadelphia City Paper, where he writes a weekly column on civic issues. Schimmel also produces news and documentaries for Public Radio. Among other Youth Radio projects, he is now working with juveniles being held in detention. Schimmel teaches Media Ethics at the University of the Arts, and runs a Journalism Fellowship at the University of Rochester.
Recent Awards
In 2006, Schimmel's City Paper column, "Loose Canon" received top honors from the Keystone Press Awards , and from the Society of Professional Journalists, Keystone State Professional Chapter. The City Paper's Op-Ed section was recognized as best among weekly newspapers in 2008 by the Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers Association. In 2004, Schimmel was designated as a Fellow of the Casey Journalism Center for Children and Families. His City Paper cover story, "From Pest to Pesto," was recognized for outstanding business writing in 2003 by The Society of Professional Journalists of Philadelphia.
As a public radio producer, Schimmel produced hundreds of cultural and enterprise radio pieces for WSCL-FM (NPR affiliate, Salisbury MD). As Project Director of "Life on Delmarva," he produced a 75-part series of audio portraits, funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (Delaware Humanities Council). "Life on Delmarva" received a 2003 Golden Reel award from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters. In 2003, he started Sonic Squad, a Youth Radio project for children in rapidly developing rural Delaware.
His radio productions have been broadcast nationally on the Pacifica radio network, NPR's "All Things Considered," "Living on Earth," "Justice Talking," and on "Pulse of the Planet." Since 1999, Schimmel has received more than a dozen Associated Press regional awards in nearly every radio category. Nationally, he was awarded first place for best feature in 1998 by the Public Radio News Directors; in 2001, an enterprise science investigation, "Toxic Bay," placed second in the country.
Schimmel founded the Philadelphia City Paper in 1981. City Paper is now the region's most widely-read weekly, with an audited readership of 450,000. In 1995, Schimmel launched City Paper Interactive, Philadelphia's first on-line newspaper, and CPCN, a pioneer Internet social network.
The newspaper was started with an initial investment of $15,000 in 1981. In 1996, when Schimmel sold the newspaper and interactive service to Metroweek (Philadelphia), the paper had the largest weekly newspaper readership in the state and revenue exceeding $4 million.
Philadelphia City Paper has received many awards for excellence in journalism, including a special commendation from the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce for outstanding arts advocacy. The City Paper has consistently been selected as the Best Weekly Newspaper in the state by the Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers Association.
Philanthropic
In 1984, Schimmel was elected to the Board of Directors of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance. In 1985, he joined the capital fund-raising committee of the Painted Bride Art Center. In September 1985, he joined the board of Melanie Stewart and Company/Dance. In 1987, he became a founding boardmember of the Foundation for Public Performance. In 1989, he participated in Philadelphia Leadership Inc. In 1993, he was elected to the board of Delaware Valley's largest AIDS fundraising agency, From All Walks of Life (later, The AIDS Fund), whose strategic fundraising plan he co-authored.
In 1996, Schimmel founded the Fellowship for Innovative Journalism at the University of Rochester, his undergraduate university. He has worked closely with Philabundance, the region's largest food rescue organization. Schimmel is listed in Marquis' Who's Who in the East.
Academic/Teaching
Before founding the Philadelphia City Paper in 1981, Bruce Schimmel was a Lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania in the department of English (1977-81), where he was awarded an M.A. (English, 1976) and completed all courses and exams for the Ph.D. While teaching at Penn, Schimmel edited Dance Dialogue, served as part-time managing editor of the WXPN Express, and wrote for the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Bulletin. He also produced a weekly radio program on cultural news for WXPN-FM.
From his undergraduate university, the University of Rochester, Schimmel graduated with honors (B.A., English, 1974), receiving a National Science Foundation Grant in his sophomore year for original research in developmental psychology.
Schimmel has taught students from grammar school to graduate school, including courses in women's literature, film criticism, journalism and other non-fiction writing. One of his favorite courses was teaching classic French cooking to 5th-graders. In 2007, he taught radio journalism in Philadelphia public schools through a Knight Foundation Grant. Schimmel been a mentor to several children through the Big Brother/Big Sister program since 1999. He currently teaches a senior seminar in Media Ethics at the University of the Arts.
Personal
Bruce Schimmel, 56, grew up in New York City. An accomplished cook, he practices yoga, and pilots gliders and airplanes -- one of which he built. He holds Instrument and Glider ratings. Schimmel is married to Deborah Katharine Maskar, principal of Maskar Design, Inc. They have homes in Center City, Philadelphia, and in Milton, Delaware, which they share with three cats.
mailto:bruce@schimmel.com
(rev09.08)