Episode 232: Murphy Signs Off

Summary

Max Politics - Episode 232: Murphy Signs Off
Date: May 27, 2021
Host: Ben Max
Guest: Jarrett Murphy

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Episode Overview

This episode commemorates Jarrett Murphy’s final appearance as co-host on the show, following his decision to leave journalism for nursing school. Host Ben Max and Murphy reflect on Murphy’s impactful career in New York City journalism, the lessons he’s learned, and his hopes for the future. The tone is warm, reflective, and appreciative, making this episode a tribute to a respected voice in urban reporting.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Arc of Jarrett Murphy’s Journalism Career

[01:36 - 03:31]

• Murphy traces his path from growing up in a New England mill town to falling in love with New York City at age 8.
  • “I just was absolutely enraptured around cities. And journalism is sort of what I fell into…” — Jarrett Murphy [01:46]
• Details career milestones:
  • Began at Hartford Advocate after college.
  • Short early stint at City Limits in 1999–2000.
  • Worked for CBS News, then chose to get a master’s in economics instead of journalism school to focus on policy.
  • Moved to the Village Voice, where he covered the 2005 mayoral race.
  • Returned to City Limits in 2007 as investigations editor, later becoming editor-in-chief and publisher.
• Reflects on the unexpected longevity of his City Limits tenure:
  • “It was the rare opportunity where my job got better just by my standing still…” — Jarrett Murphy [03:07]

2. Influential People and Pivotal Moments

[03:31 - 05:42]

• The most pivotal decision, Murphy says, was meeting his wife, who’s also a journalist and connected him to influential mentor Wayne Barrett.
  • “She is who introduced me to the great Wayne Barrett…that internship sort of changed my life.” — Jarrett Murphy [03:55]
  • Describes the “exciting moments like running from the people who ran a sweatshop that we were trying to bust, and a lot of unexciting moments, learning what real reporting is…” [04:12]
• Credits working at the Village Voice under Tom Robbins and Down Forest as formative.
• City Limits was “the job of a lifetime,” providing unique opportunities and impact.

3. Lessons and Advice for Aspiring Journalists

[05:42 - 07:49]

• Murphy, who’s also taught journalism and mentored young reporters, distills his advice:
  • “The first is to just read everything. All the best secrets are written down somewhere. If you get your hands on documents, you know, squeeze every ounce of fact you can out of them.” — Jarrett Murphy [06:22]
  • “Don’t let people talk you out of a story because they say it doesn’t matter…If it lights that bulb in your head, or more importantly, if it sparks the flame, then it's an important story and it's worth pursuing.” — Jarrett Murphy [06:50]
  • Reminds journalists that small-scale impact is as valuable as high-profile exposés:
    • “Sometimes you might be the only voice talking about some pain that people are feeling. And if so, you matter a lot to them.” [07:40]

4. Looking Ahead: Nursing School and Future Contributions

[07:49 - 08:37]

• Murphy shares that his immediate future will be devoted to nursing school and adapting to a big life change.
  • “I would not expect anything soon, but...this is not the last time people will hear from me. I have too many, too many opinions and too much obscure policy knowledge to sit on.” — Jarrett Murphy [08:24]
• He leaves open the possibility of future appearances or written work as a contributing editor.

5. Reflections and Farewells

[08:37 - End]

• Ben Max commends Murphy’s “great run in journalism and especially at City Limits, which you’ve really helm[ed] so well.”
• Appreciations exchanged between Max and Murphy, with Murphy thanking colleagues, his family, and listeners:
  • “Thank you…to you listeners. Thank you so much for being part of the Bai family and the Max and Murphy experiment.” — Jarrett Murphy [09:35]
• Murphy confirms he’ll continue listening to the show and ends with an ode to New York:
  • “God bless the greatest city in the world.” — Jarrett Murphy [09:59]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Journalism is sort of what I fell into with internships and other stuff. And so it is what I ended up doing.” — Jarrett Murphy [01:49]
• “It became…the job of a lifetime. It was sort of the job I was born into and, or born to do, I should say.” — Jarrett Murphy [04:29]
• “If it lights that bulb in your head, or more importantly, if it sparks the flame, then it's an important story and it's worth pursuing.” — Jarrett Murphy [06:50]
• “Sometimes you might be the only voice talking about some pain that people are feeling. And if so, you matter a lot to them.” — Jarrett Murphy [07:40]
• “I have too many, too many opinions and too much obscure policy knowledge to sit on. So I think I'll be back in some form.” — Jarrett Murphy [08:24]
• “Thank you…to you listeners. Thank you so much for being part of the Bai family and the Max and Murphy experiment.” — Jarrett Murphy [09:35]

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Timestamps of Key Segments

• [01:36] — Murphy summarizes his career path in journalism.
• [03:31] — Influential people, mentors, and key decisions.
• [05:42] — Murphy’s advice and lessons for young journalists.
• [07:49] — Discussion of Murphy’s plans as he transitions to nursing.
• [08:37] — Reflections and thank-yous from both Max and Murphy.
• [09:59] — Murphy’s closing words and final sign-off.

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Summary

“Murphy Signs Off” is a heartfelt episode marking a transition not only for Jarrett Murphy, but for New York’s journalism community at large. The discussion is rich with wisdom, memories, and genuine reflections on the craft and purpose of local reporting. Even as Murphy embarks on a new profession, his passion for stories, cities, and public service remains deeply felt—making his sign-off a thoughtful meditation on change, legacy, and the enduring value of journalism.

Transcript

[A]

How a changing city will shape the mayoral race. I'm Jarrett Murphy from citylimits.org and this

[B]

is Ben Max from Gotham Gazette. And we are even more down to the final Max and Murphy for the Murphy for Murphy. As we mentioned on last week's show, which was the next to last show for Jarrett, although hopefully we'll be having you back in a guest capacity. But this is the last week on the show for Jared. After five years of us doing this together in some form and several years here on wbi. What's it been, three or so years?

[A]

Almost three years. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

So this is it. I think in case people missed it last week, you're heading off to nursing school soon.

[A]

That's right.

[B]

A career change, a life change, and we wish you the best of luck. And we're gonna take our last little bit of time in today's show to talk about you and your future and your career here in journalism as you shift courses to go to nursing school. Give folks just a little bit of a sense of, you know, we're not very good and that's fine about talking about ourselves here. So. But give folks a little bit of a sense of sort of the arc of your journalism career to this point.

[A]

Yeah. Well, I came to New York City when I was 18 as a college student, and I did not intend to become a journalist. My interest was in cities. I fell in love with New York on a trip here when I was 8. I grew up in a small industrial city in New England. People from that area will recognize the model of the kind of dying mill town. That's sort of where I was from. But we had a lot of urban problems and a lot of urban potential. And so I just was absolutely enraptured around cities. And journalism is sort of what I fell into with internships and other stuff. And so it is what I ended up doing. After graduation, I worked at a place called the Hartford Advocate, which is a weekly paper near my hometown of New Britain, Connecticut. In Hartford, covered City hall and the state there and worked my way back to New York City. I actually worked for City Limits for a brief period in 1999 and 2000. Went to CBS News for a couple years. At that point, everyone I knew was going to journalism school, but I realized I didn't want to do that. So I quit to get a master's in economics because I wanted to COVID policy. Came back to CBS and then moved to the Village Voice, where I covered the 2005 Merrill race and generally had a great time and then the Voice changed and I saw an opportunity to move to City Limits, which I thought was going a way station on my way into inevitably more and more mainstream work over my career. But it ended up for a thousand different reasons, being where my career essentially occurred. And so I've been at city limits since 2007. I was investigations editor to begin with, editor in chief for a while I was the publisher too. And now I think my title, as I, as I move toward the pasture, is Editor at Large. And as of 5pm Friday, when I leave their employee officially, I think I would be a contributing editor, still part of their family, but. But no longer part of their day to day as I move into this new phase of my career.

[B]

And so in terms of people, events, moments that have sort of made the biggest difference to you in that journalism career that you just outlined, what, what stands out?

[A]

Well, there's so many. I mean, I think the key thing, if there was one key decision I made, it was to, well, was to first of all meet my wife the first day of college, because she's a journalist too, and she's been a big part of sustaining me in the career and pointing me in the right direction. And she is who introduced me to the great Wayne Barrett. She was a Wayne Barrett intern when we were juniors, and I was a Wayne Barrett intern when I was a senior at Fordham. And that internship sort of changed my life. It led to a number of jobs, and more importantly, it led to understanding what investigative reporting really means. You know, exciting moments like running from the people who ran a sweatshop that we were trying to bust, and a lot of unexciting moments, learning what real reporting is, which is digging through endless documents at the Department of Buildings, back when you actually had to go there to see stuff, that was certainly key, I think. And then, frankly, the decision to go to the Village Voice, leave CBS was a little fraught because the Voice was on kind of shaky ground and ended up, in fact, being sold a couple years later to an owner who turns out did not like me very much. But that was still a just amazing experience to work with Tom Robbins and the great Down Forest and so many people and be part of, you know, a really important part of the city's journalistic fabric and city limits was a godsend. I mean, it became, you know, the job of a lifetime. It was sort of the job I was born into and, or born to do, I should say. And, you know, I think I sort of. It was the rare opportunity where my job got better Just by my standing still, other opportunities kind of opened themselves up and a sudden, you know, I went from, from, you know, being a very junior editor to running the publication and, you know, getting to partner with you on a radio show and doing TV stuff and feeling like I was really part of the city conversation. So I think a lot of, a lot of luck and a lot of support along the way and a few good decisions on my part.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Well, that's great. When you, you've, you've been teaching,

[A]

teaching

[B]

journalism and obviously mentoring so many high school kids that come through your City Limits program, as well as other interns that you work with, as well as young journalists, what are a couple of the keys? Even if they're sort of mundane, which is often when I'm giving journalism advice, I'm like, this isn't really that exciting, but it's kind of the nuts and bolts. These are some of the most important things. But what do you sort of impart on people as what you've seen as the keys to being a successful journalist?

[A]

The first is to just read everything. All the best secrets are written down somewhere. If you get your hands on documents, you know, squeeze every ounce of fact you can out of them. That's the lost art. You know, you don't need secret sources, you don't need tips in the dead of the night. If you just do your homework, you'll find amazing stories. And the other thing, and this is advice that even I don't always follow, but I try to stress it to anyone, is, you know, don't let people talk you out of a story because they say it doesn't matter or they don't care or who cares about that? If it lights that bulb in your head, or more importantly, if it sparks the flame, then it's an important story and it's worth pursuing. You know, I think oftentimes we, we self censor, we talk ourselves out of stories. We think they're silly or obscure or mundane, but sometimes those are the stories that can change the world or change a life. And, and that's, I guess the third and final lesson is that, you know, every journalist wants to win a Pulitzer Prize and, and, you know, get a president thrown of office or get a law changed isn't always going to work that way. One of the things I've had to balance at City Limits, and I'm glad I have, is the difference between making a small impact on a lot of people and making a big impact on a few people. And there are times to do Each, but each has its value. And sometimes you might be the only voice talking about some pain that people are feeling. And if so, you matter a lot to them. And so I would not dismiss the small story with big impact for a few people.

[B]

And finally, you're heading off to nursing school. You're obviously going to be giving that your all. We know that. And that's how you do things. But you mentioned sort of this nebulous role as a contributing editor. Should we expect to see your byline in the future? Or what are we expecting in terms of.

[A]

Yeah, other than that, my scrubs fit a little loosely. I know almost nothing to this point about what nursing school is going to be like, what my life will be like. I would not expect anything soon, but I would. I would assume this is not the last time people will hear from me. I have too many, too many opinions and too much obscure policy knowledge to sit on. So I think I'll be back in some form. When or how, I have no idea. But the will certainly is there.

[B]

Well, very good. We'll look forward to that. We'll be reading your final pieces and your archives quite a bit. You're producing great stuff this week, even as you wrap things up at your tenure there. And I just want to congratulate you on a great run in journalism. And again, it's not totally over and certainly even if it's paused, won't be over for good, but a great run in journalism and especially at City Limits, which you've really helm so well. And it's just been such a pleasure working with you on this show when we were doing it as a fun little podcast idea when we first started it back in 2016 and then growing it and coming to WBAI. And it's just been a real pleasure to do it with you as well as the other things we've partnered on at our publications.

[A]

Well, likewise, Ben, my best friend in journalism, a real example to me and I've appreciated it so much and the show has been a lot of fun. Thank you. Thank you to Reggie and Linda and Bertolt, the folks who've made this work at wbai, all the folks of many stripes who have made City Limits possible and worthwhile for these many years. My folks, my wife and kids, and mostly to you listeners. Thank you so much for being part of the Bai family and the Max and Murphy experiment. This show will be back next week with Ben Max. It will be great. I'm going to listen.

[B]

Please keep listening with a title to be determined.

[A]

Yes, that's exciting. I can't wait to listen and find out. And so I hope you will have an excellent week in and God bless the greatest city in the world.

[B]

Whale wheel.