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“Deeply sourced, eager to sniff out hypocrisy, and beloved by colleagues, friends, and family, Arco was the first person hired by NJ Advance Media — the company that provides content to NJ.com and The Star-Ledger — in 2014,” NJ Advance Media said in a statement.
NJ Attorney General Matthew Platkin called Arco one of the "brightest and most talented journalists in New Jersey's press corps," saying he was "shocked and devastated" to learn of Arco's loss.
"This is a tragic loss to our state, which will be for the worse without his dedicated and incisive reporting," Platkin said. "As a Statehouse reporter, he was never afraid to hold anyone to account, nor to highlight the stories of New Jerseyans who are impacted by the decisions of the lawmakers and politicians that he covered.
"Matt was a contemporary of mine. He was tough, in the best sense of the word, but he was also decent. And he was also pretty funny. I will miss him. My thoughts are with Matt’s family and friends during this deeply difficult time."
Arco was best known for his political reporting, covering both Gov. Chris Christie’s and Gov. Phil Murphy’s administrations. Most recently, he had been covering national politics for NJ Advance. Arco was described as one of the newsroom’s go-to voices on New Jersey politics.
When Christie launched his second presidential bid, Arco produced a newsletter titled What Makes Chris Christie Run? The newsletter earned a National Press Club Award and was nominated for a Shorty Award, NJ Advance said.
Arco's LinkedIn shows he graduated from the University at Albany with a Bachelor of Science in journalism in 2009. His first news job was at the Roswell Daily Record as a reporter before joining the Portland Daily Sun, his LinkedIn says. Arco worked as a statehouse reporter for PolitickerNJ just before joining NJ Advance Media in 2014.
Click here to read Arco's latest work for NJ Advance Media and here for the full report on Arco's death from NJ Advance Media.
Daily Voice extends its heartfelt condolences to the staff of NJ Advance Media, as well as to Matt Arco’s family, friends, and all who knew and admired him.
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