Michael A. Turner’s path to journalism started in the back of a township meeting in Upper Darby when he was nineteen, scribbling notes for a community college newspaper assignment that was supposed to take an hour. He stayed for three, fascinated by the way a zoning variance could split neighbors into factions and reshape a block forever. That curiosity about how local decisions ripple through ordinary lives has defined his reporting ever since.
What He Covers
Michael reports on Philadelphia’s city government for newsofphiladelphia.com, tracking everything from budget negotiations and council votes to the quieter bureaucratic decisions that determine whether potholes get filled or building permits get approved. His 2021 investigation into the city’s property tax assessment system—which revealed systematic errors affecting thousands of Kensington and Port Richmond homeowners—earned him a Keystone Press Award for public service journalism. He’s particularly known for translating dense municipal finance documents into stories that explain what’s actually at stake for residents.
Background
Before joining Newsofphiladelphia.com in 2019, Michael spent six years at the Bucks County Courier Times covering suburban townships and school board politics, plus two years at WURD Radio producing segments on neighborhood issues. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Temple University, where he occasionally guest-lectures in the investigative reporting seminar.
Philadelphia Connection
A Fishtown resident for eight years, Michael grew up in Lansdale and has watched both communities transform in ways that keep him asking who benefits when neighborhoods change. Off the clock, he runs a Tuesday night trivia team at a bar on Girard Avenue—though his record there is considerably worse than his record on Right-to-Know requests.
Stay Connected
Contact: 📧 [email protected]