Sue Schardt

Sue Schardt is a leading advocate for democratization in public media and the 1967 founding vision of an industry that, in the words of President Lyndon Johnson, “will bring enlightenment to all the people of the United States.”

Sue Schardt received the Bader Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Federation of Community Broadcasters in recognition of her trailblazing innovation in journalism and community storytelling, principally for the Localore production she created while serving as CEO of AIR, the Association of Indpendents in Radio. Since 2018, Sue Schardt has served as the executive producer of Margin Media in Dorchester, Massachusetts. She is a long standing DJ at MIT’s freeform radio station, WMBR.

Margin Media is built on Schardt’s belief in the inherent power of media as a transformational force for good in communities small and large. One hallmark of her approach is to identify gifted talent, and provide them direction, resources and creative space to make new work “with and for” the people. Collaborators numbering in the hundreds come from across the United States. The work has received support from leading public media stations and organizations, and from leading philanthropies and funders including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, the Philadelphia Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Wyncote Foundation,

Watch

Sue Schardt was executive producer for “Finding Sanctuary: Stories from the People,” a live event at Philadelphia’s historic Church of the Advocate featuring a multimedia array of audio shorts, documentary features, and live storytelling. Those featured included American social influencer and activist Wallace Peeples, also known as Wallo267. Mr. Peebles draws on personal experience that includes a 20-year prison sentence to create viral content that empowers and inspires those whose lives are impacted by the culture of incarceration. The short documentary feature produced for the event, “Wallo267,” provides a glimpse into why Mr. Peeples has attracted nearly 800K Twitter followers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGha_Apu_VA

Listen

Schardt’s free form radio show, In the Margin of the Others is up on Mixcloud at https://www.mixcloud.com/Sschardt/

For more on Sue Schardt, visit https://MarginMedia.org

Sue Schardt, executive producer at Margin Media and executive producer and creator of Localore, was honored with the 2018 Michael Bader Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB). Sue Schardt has an established and respected track record in community and public media, bringing her creative vision to lift and advance new stories, emerging voices, and programs that reflect the rich diversity of America today. The Bader Award honored her specifically for her transformational work as leader of the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR), a international talent network with more than 1300 members, and for her creation of Localore, a national production that has brought enduring impact to independent talent, and to public media stations and the communities they serve.

NFCB presents the Bader Award in honor of attorney and community radio advocate Michael Bader. Bader, who died in 2001, earned the respect of his peers with his dedication and courageous legal representation of fledgling community radio stations. Previous recipients of the award that bears his name are noted for a single outstanding innovation, or for distinguishing contributions they’ve made to independent community radio over the span of their career.

In a tribute video created for the occasion of Ms. Schardt’s induction, AIR staff and leaders from across public media extolled the generosity of her spirit, her relentless commitment, the creative vision she’s brought to her work, and the impact she’s had as a mentor, leader, and friend. Among those adding their voices to the tribute were Kathy Merritt, Sr VP of Content Strategy and Development at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; Laura Walker, CEO of New York Public Media; Noland Walker, Content Director of ITVS; Kerri Hoffman, CEO of PRX, as well as many producers from across the U.S. and the world.
The testimonials noted Sue Schardt’s enduring conviction for inclusiveness in public media, her ability to take strategic risks that pay off, appreciation for her gifts as an effective and trusted collaborator, and the impact her guidance and encouragement had on other creators and their careers.

Jennifer Brandel, one of Localore’s stand-out lead producers (2012) and CEO of Hearken, expressed her gratitude to Ms. Schardt for her “vision” that “unlocks the energy no one else knows is possible.”

To watch the NFCB tribute video to Sue Schardt, go here. [linkto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuMFEijMjEc&t=316s]

Read Sue Schardt’s remarks at the Bader Award ceremony here. [https://marginmedia.org/bader-award-remarks/]

For the latest on Sue Schardt and Margin Media, go here: [linkto: https://marginmedia.org/]

Sue Schardt

Margin Media and the Finding Sanctuary Multi-Media Production

2018 Bader Award Honoring Sue Schardt’s Commitment and Vision