by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
One week after being named press secretary for Mayor John Peyton, former Ch. 4 reporter Heather Murphy slowly cleaned out her cubicle at the station.
Videotapes, stacks of files, yellow note pads, a Rolodex; Murphy piled three years worth of Jacksonville experience into a growing stack of cardboard boxes.
Murphy will bring those boxes with her across the river from Ch. 4’s Southbank office to Peyton’s executive offices on City Hall’s fourth floor. And with them she will bring to the new administration a grounds-eye view of the city.
Since moving to Jacksonville in 2000, Murphy has supplied Ch. 4 viewers with first-hand accounts of the disputed 2000 presidential election, two Middle East wars and Florida’s ongoing health insurance debate. But she said it was her local experience that caught Peyton’s eye as he searched for his press liaison.
“My strength, my beat has been the military and Tallahassee politics,” said Murphy. “But I’ve crawled every inch of Jacksonville in the past three years from stories on education and crime to health care. Someone who has spent as much time as I have in the streets of this town has something to say about how people may or may not react to what the administration is trying to do.”
Ch. 4 news director Mo Ruddy describes her as “a digger, somebody that doesn’t take no for an answer.” She said Murphy, who came to Jacksonville with little reporting experience, has become their star, the one the station calls to cover tough stories. A week after being named to Peyton’s staff, Murphy reported from Clay County about a suspected kidnapper.
Murphy’s 15-year television career followed a two-year teaching job in Kenya, where she discovered a love for communication. She followed it to Washington, D.C., where she produced for the “CBS Evening News” and “This Morning.” In addition to producing and reporting, Murphy has written news, directed and anchored newscasts. Since leaving Africa, it has been Murphy’s job to inform the public. Now, she prepares to inform the media as a public official.
“My TV friends tell me I’m going over to the dark side,” said Murphy. “But I wouldn’t be leaving if I didn’t have an unbelievable opportunity to be a part of this team. I believe in John Peyton and I am excited about the things I think we’re going to accomplish.”
A self-described political wonk who can watch C-Span for hours, she watched first-hand as former president Bill Clinton’s impeachment unfolded and talks wide-eyed about it today. She credits her years in the nation’s capital for cementing a political awareness that was first awakened by her parent’s dinner table discussions.
Although she admits the bureaucratic process can be cumbersome, Murphy said she loves to watch skilled political operators guide their ideas to fruition. She didn’t hesitate when asked to name an example.
“John Delaney,” she said laughing. She gave the answer before the question was finished. “Look at what he did with the Better Jacksonville Plan. He floated it for 18 months and took a little bit here and a little bit there and the end result is the thing that helps the most people and everybody feels like they’re a part of it.”
Murphy sees similar qualities in Peyton. Her first priority will be to establish clearly the mayor’s message and to make sure it’s accessible to local media. She mentioned his focus on early education as a policy that would benefit from media exposure and the resulting popular reaction.
Nearly as important, Murphy wants to make Peyton’s City Hall a transparent and accessible administration. She said her reporting and producing experience gives her a thorough understanding of reporters’ logistical and editorial needs.
She understands for instance, a reporter’s desperation as the clock ticks toward deadline and she knows that a simple lack of parking spaces can cause big headaches for mobile camera crews.
She supports Peyton’s commitment to his administration’s transparency. Following his victory over former sheriff Nat Glover, Peyton consistently promised his transition and administration would operate in full view of the media and the public.
“People need to know how their tax dollars are being spent and how their city is being shaped,” Murphy said. “This is supposed to be government of the people, for the people and by the people, and it can’t be those things if the people don’t know what the government is doing.”