▁gradu ation , ▁Mur phy ▁joined ▁the ▁family ▁newspaper ▁business . ▁He ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁office ▁manager ▁at ▁the ▁Washington ▁Af ro - American , ▁based ▁in ▁the ▁capital . ▁▁ ▁Mur phy ▁worked ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁positions ▁to ▁learn ▁the ▁family ▁newspaper ▁business , ▁which ▁his ▁uncle ▁Carl ▁J . ▁Mur phy ▁expanded ▁to ▁ 1 3 ▁major ▁cities ▁at ▁its ▁peak ▁during ▁his ▁ 4 5 ▁years ▁of ▁leadership . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁Mur phy ▁III ▁was ▁named ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Af ro - American ▁papers , ▁succeed ing ▁his ▁uncle . ▁One ▁of ▁his ▁innov ations ▁was ▁a ▁week ly ▁supp lement , ▁Da wn ▁magazine , ▁which ▁attract ed ▁advert ising ▁and ▁addressed ▁issues ▁of ▁interest ▁to ▁middle - class ▁readers . ▁The ▁business ▁still ▁published ▁a ▁national ▁edition ▁and ▁local ▁versions ▁in ▁several ▁East ▁Coast ▁and ▁Southern ▁cities . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁Mur phy ▁became ▁board ▁chairman ▁and ▁publish er . ▁Through ▁these ▁years , ▁the ▁business ▁faced ▁increasing ▁competition ▁for ▁advert ising ▁dollars ▁from ▁television , ▁and ▁later ▁the ▁Internet . ▁It ▁has ▁reduced ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁ed itions ▁it ▁publish es . ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁Mur phy ▁retired ▁as ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁board ▁of ▁the ▁newspaper ▁company . ▁ ▁Mur phy ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁photograph er , ▁taking ▁family ▁pictures , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁pictures ▁for ▁the ▁Baltimore ▁Times . ▁He ▁retained ▁connections ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁after