Reg Murphy, a renowned journalist whose illustrious career took him to newspapers in Atlanta, San Francisco, and Baltimore—and who became a national headline himself after surviving a politically motivated kidnapping—has passed away at the age of 90. Murphy, a resident of St. Simons Island, Georgia, died on November 9.
John Reginald “Reg” Murphy, originally from Georgia, commenced his career covering state politics for the Macon Telegraph. He later joined The Atlanta Constitution as a reporter and editor during the civil rights movement. In 1975, Murphy became editor and publisher of the San Francisco Examiner before moving on to serve as publisher of the Baltimore Sun.
Art Harris, a reporter who worked under Murphy at The Atlanta Constitution and later followed him to San Francisco, remembers him as an inspiring editor. “He was a gentleman and a gentle persuader,” Harris said. “I never heard him raise his voice. Not everyone liked his decisions, but he didn’t let that dissuade him from making them.”
Murphy took on senior leadership roles at the National Geographic Society, where he played a crucial role in incorporating new media technologies to extend the global reach and impact of its publications and video platforms.
His journalism career spanned the globe, taking him to Russia, China, Japan, and the Middle East. Within the United States, Murphy emphasized the essential role of journalism in maintaining the health of the country and its communities. “Journalism is, in my mind, sacred,” he said in a 2022 interview with Mercer University. “It is a sacred trust to tell the truth and to try to give people enough freedom to be able to find the truth and then to pursue it.”
During his tenure as editorial page editor at The Atlanta Constitution in 1974, Murphy became the center of national news when he was kidnapped and held for a $700,000 ransom. His kidnapper purportedly belonged to a militia group intent on stopping what they deemed the “lying of leftist newspapers.”
Murphy was released two days later in a motel parking lot after the ransom was paid. His abductor was apprehended within hours, the money recovered, and the man later convicted and sentenced to 40 years in prison—though he ultimately served nine.
Despite this terrifying episode, Murphy continued his successful career in journalism. He later recounted the ordeal in Golf Digest, detailing how a man, under the guise of needing help with a large donation of heating oil, managed to lure Murphy into a car. Realizing the peril, Murphy described the chilling moment when his kidnapper revealed a handgun and declared, “Mr. Murphy, you’ve been kidnapped.” Bound and blindfolded, Murphy endured hours in the trunk of a car, trying to remain calm and recounting rounds of golf in his mind to stave off panic.
After his release, Murphy lost 10 pounds from the ordeal and developed claustrophobia. Nonetheless, his passion for golf became a therapeutic escape. Two months after the kidnapping, he found himself on a golf course at a charity event, signing autographs and posing for photos, recounting how the sport served as a mental balm.
Murphy became an active volunteer with the United States Golf Association (USGA), serving as its president in 1994 and 1995. “Reg gave his time and expertise to help leave the game of golf even better,” said USGA CEO Mike Whan. “The USGA, and the people who play and love the game of golf, are better off because of Reg’s commitment, passion, and leadership.”
Born to Mae and John Lee Murphy, a schoolteacher and a store owner, Reg Murphy remained a dedicated supporter of Mercer University, calling it “a place where I learned something about the who, what, where, why, and how of journalism.” Serving five terms on Mercer’s Board of Trustees, Murphy was honored when the university renamed its Center for Collaborative Journalism as the Reg Murphy Center for Collaborative Journalism.
