We monitor the most powerful halls in America’s poorest big city.
In 2021, an up-and-coming journalist named Lawrence McGlynn teamed up with respected city hall reporter Denise Clay-Murray and longtime consumer advocate Lance Haver to launch The Philadelphia Hall Monitor.
Two years and several surprisingly prestigious award nominations later, we’d like to think we’ve become your trusted source for local government news and consumer survival tips that you won’t find anywhere else.
Our reporters regularly sit through hours and hours of city council meetings, dig through piles of documents, and ask tough questions other media overlook. Why? Because we’re committed to addressing Philadelphia’s poverty epidemic — and challenging those who sustain it.
Subscribe to our newsletter and tune into our weekly broadcast for reliable news and context, fair government scrutiny, and consumer survival tips in the city we all share.
Meet The Team
Denise Clay-Murray
Co-founder & Reporter
Denise Clay-Murray is the co-host of The Philadelphia Hall Monitor‘s weekly broadcast live on Wednesdays at 6pm on PhillyCAM TV (Comcast channel 66), WPPN Radio (106.5 FM), or streaming online at phillycam.org/watch or phillycam.org/listen.
In addition to her co-hosting duties, she has been an independent journalist since 2005, and has covered politics in Philadelphia for a variety of news outlets including the Philadelphia Sunday Sun, Philadelphia Magazine, Love Now Media, Resolve Philadelphia, City & State Pennsylvania and Billy Penn. Her work has also appeared on the BBC World Service, the Australian Broadcasting Company, Votebeat and Time online.
Denise previously covered politics and education for the Elmira (NY) Star Gazette, the Reading Eagle-Times, the Bucks County Courier Times, and the Philadelphia Tribune. She is a graduate of Temple University’s Klein School of Journalism and lives in Wilmington, Delaware with her husband Chris.
Larry McGlynn
Co-founder & Reporter
Larry McGlynn is a journalist and producer for The Philadelphia Hall Monitor. He is a 2019 graduate of the Temple University Master of Journalism program, where he was a Reporting Fellow for Temple’s online news outlet, Philadelphia Neighborhoods. Before entering the world of journalism, he was an English teacher. Larry lives in West Philadelphia with his wife, Chrissy, son Owen, and cats.
Lance Haver
Co-founder & Reporter
Lance Haver has been a consumer advocate for over 40 years. He was the director of the nation’s largest grassroots consumer group, served as the Consumer Advocate for the City of Philadelphia, a cabinet level position, was an on-air commentator for KYW-TV and channel 48. Before becoming the Hall Monitor’s consumer reporter, Lance was an on-air “trouble shooter” for WPVI’s Call For Action. His writing has appeared widely in the Philadelphia media market.
Lance lives, with his wife Lisa, an education advocate, in South Philadelphia.
City council news and consumer survival tips.
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