Joe Murphy
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joemurph.bsky.social
Joe Murphy
@joemurph.bsky.social
4.8K followers 1.9K following 560 posts
Data editor @NBCNews.com, @NBCguild.bsky.social strong, Oregonian born & raised, lives in NYC (Gowanus, Brooklyn). Formerly: New York Daily News, Denver Post, Medill.

Into dataviz, spreadsheets, accessibility, coding.

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joemurph.bsky.social
Joe Murphy @joemurph.bsky.social · Mar 1
Very proud of the bio I wrote for the #NICAR2025 / #NICAR session I'm part of, wherein I shoutout the best text editor on the planet (vim).
Joe Murphy is a technically skilled editor at NBC News who loves figuring things out, getting people on the phone, unusual spreadsheets and making order from chaos. Also a fan of accessibility, Python, CSS, vim and the command line.
joemurph.bsky.social
rare bird
A photo of the rear end of an red 1980s car in pretty good condition for being like 40 years old. A closer-in photo of the car, centered is a mint condition "BUSH/QUAYLE 1988" bumper sticker from a presidential race decades ago.
January 17, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Reposted by Joe Murphy
ryanjreilly.com
“These are no longer dog whistles,” Jon Lewis, a research fellow at the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, said. “They’re bullhorns.” www.nbcnews.com/tech/interne...
Some Trump administration social media posts mirror extremist rhetoric
While the posts are a small part of the administration’s overall social media presence, experts say they are clear references to white supremacist messaging.
www.nbcnews.com
January 17, 2026 at 4:30 AM
joemurph.bsky.social
Pitched and landed this story for @NBCNews.com: 24 members of Congress are 80 or older. More than half are running for re-election. #dataViz www.nbcnews.com/politics/con...
This chart shows which of Congress’s oldest 24 members are running for re-election (13 members), which aren’t (six members), and which are uncertain (four members). Each politician’s current age is shown, and for those running, the age they would be at the end of the term they could be re-elected for is shown. The party of each member is also shown. All of these politicians are at least 80 years old, most are younger than 84, and one is in his 90s. The uncertain politicians are, on average, the oldest, though there are three politicians at or near 88 who are running for re-election.
January 15, 2026 at 12:12 PM
joemurph.bsky.social
New JAMA research letter went up today with the vaccination data work that @NBCNews.com journalists and Stanford University researchers collaborated on: jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

NBC News’ extensive coverage on the topic is here: www.nbcnews.com/specials/vac...
Trends in County-Level Childhood Vaccination Exemptions in the US
This study examines US county-level trends in nonmedical and medical exemptions to childhood vaccination requirements.
jamanetwork.com
January 14, 2026 at 8:18 PM
joemurph.bsky.social
Got to help @corkysiemaszko.bsky.social on this story. Shoutouts to @jessicasimeone.bsky.social for edits and @jasonabbruzzese.bsky.social for bringing it up this AM, shoutouts to my Minnesota family for their help too. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
Minneapolis schools cancel classes after ICE raid at high school the same day Renee Nicole Good was killed
The Department of Homeland Security said it chased a suspect to Roosevelt High School, where witnesses described a chaotic scene between the agents and local residents.
www.nbcnews.com
January 8, 2026 at 11:52 PM
joemurph.bsky.social
theonion.com/it-only-tues...
It Only Tuesday
WASHINGTON, DC—After running a thousand errands, working hours of overtime, and being stuck in seemingly endless gridlock traffic commuting to and from their jobs, millions of Americans were dishearte...
theonion.com
January 6, 2026 at 8:47 PM
joemurph.bsky.social
The flu surge in the last week of the year was really something else (see the line chart in the story).

"About 5,000 people have died of the flu so far this season, including 9 children, as the Trump administration pulls back on advice to get kids vaccinated." www.nbcnews.com/health/healt...
Flu surges in 45 states as doctor visits reach highest level in nearly 30 years
About 5,000 people have died of the flu so far this season, including 9 children, as the Trump administration pulls back on advice to get kids vaccinated.
www.nbcnews.com
January 6, 2026 at 2:56 PM
joemurph.bsky.social
My sister ( @manniemurphy.bsky.social ) drew this picture of me for my Christmas present this year.
A pen drawing of my face.
January 5, 2026 at 12:56 AM
joemurph.bsky.social
Live updates on the U.S. military attack on Venezuela and its aftermath www.nbcnews.com/world/latin-...
Live updates: Maduro arrives in New York after capture
Follow live updates as Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro arrives in the U.S. following his capture overnight.
www.nbcnews.com
January 3, 2026 at 10:11 PM
joemurph.bsky.social
STUDY: Parents who delay baby's first vaccines also likely to skip measles shots: www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-...

This research published today in JAMA Network Open: jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
Parents who delay baby's first vaccines also likely to skip measles shots
Ahead of possible changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, a new report highlights growing confusion over the best time to protect infants from serious infectious diseases.
www.nbcnews.com
January 2, 2026 at 5:41 PM
joemurph.bsky.social
The latest from @NBCNews.com’s Vaccine Divide project:

"After decades of success against tetanus in the U.S., there are troubling signs that the deadly bacterial infection could make a comeback..."

www.nbcnews.com/health/kids-...
A (mostly) county map of the U.S. showing DTaP vaccination rates among kindergarteners. Rates are lower than 95% in most of the country, and lower rates are particularly visible in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest.
December 26, 2025 at 3:18 PM
joemurph.bsky.social
Made a fun Christmas playlist (soul songs mostly)
SPOTIFY: open.spotify.com/playlist/2oS...
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...
APPLE MUSIC: geo.music.apple.com/library/play...
AMAZON MUSIC: music.amazon.com/user-playlis...
TIDAL: tidal.com/playlist/6ff...
PANDORA: pandora.com/playlist/PL:...
JOE’S XMAS LIST
open.spotify.com
December 26, 2025 at 2:01 AM
joemurph.bsky.social
New from @NBCNews.com’s Digital Docs team: A 51-minute documentary on what covering the Israel-Hamas war from inside Gaza was like for two NBC News journalists.
www.nbcnews.com/video/filmed...

See the web edition of their story: www.nbcnews.com/specials/fil...
Filmed in Gaza: Two NBC News journalists on what it is like to cover the Israel-Hamas war from inside Gaza
For almost two years, Samed Abu Zarifa and Samir Al Boji covered the Israel-Hamas war from inside Gaza as it unfolded around them. "Filmed in Gaza" is a rare, intimate portrait of their daily lives si...
www.nbcnews.com
December 23, 2025 at 12:41 AM
joemurph.bsky.social
Contributed to the reporting on this day-two story about Friday’s Epstein document dump www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
Scrutiny of DOJ's release of Epstein documents continues into second day
Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin said he wants to investigate why all the documents weren’t released at once. Meanwhile, 15 images made public Friday disappeared from the DOJ’s website.
www.nbcnews.com
December 21, 2025 at 2:52 PM
joemurph.bsky.social
The @NBCNews.com Data / Graphics team has a big map running on tonight's Nightly News with Tom Llamas broadcast. Tune in! www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news
Nightly News with Tom Llamas: The Latest Global and U.S. Breaking News Every Night
Coverage of the latest global and U.S. breaking news stories by Tom Llamas on NBCNews.com. Watch videos of breaking news, politics, health, lifestyle and more.
www.nbcnews.com
December 17, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Reposted by Joe Murphy
walinchus.bsky.social
1/7 Behind the story: calculating all the numbers behind this @nbcnews.com story took three months, 1,181 lines of code, and three former court employees to verify the methodology.

@joemurph.bsky.social @suzgamboa.bsky.social @joyywang.bsky.social

www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
How the Trump administration pushed to reopen immigration cases, putting thousands at risk of deportation
An NBC News analysis found that the Trump administration has filed more than 117,000 requests to reopen cases immigration judges had deemed low priority.
www.nbcnews.com
December 17, 2025 at 9:35 PM
joemurph.bsky.social
NEW: @walinchus.bsky.social found evidence of a new maneuver the Trump administration’s using in its immigration crackdown, and we all reported it out for @NBCNews.com: www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
How the Trump administration pushed to reopen immigration cases, putting thousands at risk of deportation
An NBC News analysis found that the Trump administration has filed more than 117,000 requests to reopen cases immigration judges had deemed low priority.
www.nbcnews.com
December 17, 2025 at 9:15 PM
joemurph.bsky.social
“In recent weeks, nearly two dozen elected officials on both sides of the aisle said they were targeted after getting caught in the president's crosshairs.”

I got to contribute to this @NBCNews.com piece by Dareh Gregorian and Jiachuan Wu:
www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...
This is a timeline compares the dates and time when Donald Trump posted about various public officials with the dates those individuals reported receiving threats, bomb threats, or swatting attacks: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) — Trump post: Nov. 14; threats reported: Nov. 15. State Sen. Greg Goode (R-Ind.) — Post: Nov. 16; swatting and threats hours after Trump posted. Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.) — Post: Nov. 20; bomb threat: Nov. 21. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) — Post: Nov. 16; bomb threat: Nov. 21. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) — Post: Nov. 20; bomb threat: same day, Nov. 20. Chuck Schumer — Post: Nov. 20; bomb threat: Dec. 1. There are more.
December 16, 2025 at 1:29 AM
joemurph.bsky.social
VINDICATED bsky.app/profile/merr...
A screenshot of my December 2024 post where I write that slop should have been the word of the year in 2024. Full text follows: I know it's out of the news cycle but if you'd have asked me what the 2024 word of the year should be I would have gone with "slop." I realize slop was a finalist (alongside demure, lore and others). Slop shoulda won
December 15, 2025 at 6:36 PM
joemurph.bsky.social
This @NBCNews.com / Stanford University report on county-level childhood vaccination rates across the U.S. is as timely as ever: www.nbcnews.com/specials/vac...
The Vaccine Divide
Decades of immunization progress is backsliding, an NBC News data investigation reveals, threatening the safety of children in America, burdening schools and hindering public health.
www.nbcnews.com
December 12, 2025 at 9:56 PM
joemurph.bsky.social
These toys were in the newsroom and they were.... something else.

AI toys for kids talk about sex and issue Chinese Communist Party talking points, tests show www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne...
AI toys for kids talk about sex and issue Chinese Communist Party talking points, tests show
New research from Public Interest Research Group and tests conducted by NBC News found that a wide range of AI toys have loose guardrails.
www.nbcnews.com
December 11, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Reposted by Joe Murphy
meghanhoyer.bsky.social
We used 1,100 real users' data to help re-create TikTok’s algorithm, and then made a map, allowing you to explore the hidden divides that decide what content you see - and what you don't.
Awesome work by @fox.computer, Leslie Shapiro & @jeremybmerrill.com:
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...
Are you in TikTok’s cat niche? What 121,000 videos reveal
We re-created TikTok’s algorithm based on 1,100 users’ feeds. Explore which topics are in your feed and see what the algorithm is least likely to show you.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 10, 2025 at 5:17 PM
joemurph.bsky.social
Hi all,
Here’s my annual winter (dark and gloomy, not jolly jolly) playlist, it’s an all-new collection of 135 songs from artists spanning the globe, posted on six music streaming services (links below and also here: joemurph.com/playlists/de... ). Art by Ada and me.
An oil pastel and digital painting, mostly deep blues and black, with splattery splots of white, kind of evokes a snow storm.
December 5, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Reposted by Joe Murphy
kokogiak.bsky.social
Day 4 of the 2025 Space Telescope Advent Calendar: Hot Stars in the Lobster Nebula. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope recently imaged this region where the radiation & winds from a group of super-hot infant stars are blasting clouds of surrounding dust. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/photography/...
A dark and dense cloud of dust takes up the left half of the image, with a cluster of glittering white stars at right, all backdropped by many more-distant stars. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, A. Pagan, STScI)
December 4, 2025 at 4:50 PM
joemurph.bsky.social
The team put together this nice little article with a map about where Christmas trees come from ( www.nbcnews.com/data-graphic... ) and this morning I got the nicest reader email I've received in a long time.
Good morning Joe, I just wanted to reach out and say that I found your article on the Christmas tree growth locations to be really neat and that I enjoyed reading it. Have a happy holiday season. Justin
December 4, 2025 at 4:33 PM