Joy Purdy
Joy Purdy
Joy Purdy is an American journalist working at WJXT as a Weeknight Co-Anchor. She and Rob Sweeting usually deliver news at 5:30, 6:30 and 11 p.m.[1]
Personal Life and Education
Joy Purdy was born and raised outside Trenton, New Jersey, United States.
Details about her date of birth are not known therefore it is not known when she celebrates her birthday. She likes to keep her personal life away from the public eye and it difficult to know her age.[2]
Joy's parents nurtured her inquisitive nature by getting her watch and relay to them the morning weather report from the Today Show as they prepared for work every day.
She went to Villanova University where she graduated with a B.A. Degree in Mass Communications and a minor in Education.[3]
Career
Joy Purdy's television career began after graduating from Villanova University. Joy joined the New Jersey Network News of public TV to generate and broadcast news updates on the radio with an internship under her belt at Philadelphia's "Channel 6 Action News".
She later became one of NJN 's key news reporters on television, helping to cover major events like the election and new administration of New Jersey's first female governor (Christine Todd Whitman), and interviewing famous figures including the late Civil Rights activist Coretta Scott King, then the United States. Attorney General Janet Reno, accompanied by tennis player Pete Sampras.[5]
Joy's good reputation for Journalism and infectious passion brought her from 1995 to 2000 to Jacksonville, Florida as a Weekend News Anchor and "Police Beat" Reporter for then-CBS affiliate WJXT.
Joy tenaciously reported numerous major stories on the First Coast over five years, including the $20 million Loomis Fargo theft (considered the biggest theft in U.S. history), Jacksonville's first black sheriff (Nat Glover), and the Jaguars historic inaugural NFL season.
She even flew with the U.S.
Navy's Blue Angels.
She traveled to the Kennedy Space Center to cover the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Also, she reported from the Abaco Islands in The Bahamas as Category 4 Hurricane Frances passed directly over her.
Joy reported on the infamous 2000 presidential election from downtown Miami, when she would find 'hanging chads' stuck to her shoes at the end of each day.
"I could kick myself for not scooping up a bunch and selling them on EBay,"
Joy jokes.
Miami TV coverage sharpened Joy's journalistic skills.
Her talents quickly took her to the bright lights of the "Magic City" in 2000, trading her Jaguars jersey for a Dolphins decal.
Before long, bigger markets began calling and she accepted a noon and 5 p.m. anchor position with CBS-owned WFOR-TV in Miami; a position which she held for almost seven years.[4]
Awards
Joy was awarded the Associated Press’ Individual Achievement Award for her work in Jacksonville.
Marital Life
Joy is happily married and she have two beautiful young children.
After getting married in the spring of 2006, Joy returned to Jacksonville, Florida in September of 2007 to be with her husband (whose name is not reviewed on social media); and what she calls part of God's perfect plan for her life.
"After dating long distance between North and South Florida for nearly seven years, my husband and i were elated when i was asked to join the First Coast News team."
Said Joy.
Joy left WTLV early in 2013 shortly after giving birth to their second child to spend time with her young children. At the end of the summer, she was ready to get back into the professional world and was happy to turn to her first family in Jacksonville at WJXT.
Joy and her husband with their children enjoy going to the beach and Jags games.
They also love to travel.