[4] He began his career as a writer at City Paper, where he eventually became the editor David Carr's deputy.
[1] He later worked at U.S. News & World Report, where he covered national politics and the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
[5] The next year, he returned to City Paper, replacing his longtime friend Erik Wemple as editor, a post he served from 2010 to 2012.
He has also written for Slate, The Washington Post, POLITICO, Philadelphia, The Daily Beast, The Boston Globe and other publications.
In 2012, Schaffer joined The New Republic as editorial director, shortly after it was bought by Chris Hughes, and played a role in its redesign and online operations.