The Baton Rouge Morning Advocate is purchasing what is left of the famed Times-Picayune. The Newhouse Group decimated the beloved newspaper a few years ago when it moved to a digital-first model and cut publication of the newspaper to only three days per week. The Baton Rouge paper created a New Orleans Advocate that promptly took off as it hired many former reporters from the Times-Picayune. The Morning Advocate announced yesterday:
For the news companies' loyal readers there are a few key details to know:
Several T-P reporters unfortunately found out yesterday they were losing their jobs. The Morning Advocate published this editorial yesterday afternoon:
-- The Advocate will publish a seven-day, home-delivered newspaper in New Orleans using the brands and features of both publications. The new paper will debut in June.
-- The two papers’ websites will be combined under the nola.com brand around the same time.
-- Owner John and Dathel Georges said when the new paper launches, current Picayune subscribers will be offered options for seven-day delivery.
-- The single newspaper will carry the flags of both The Times-Picayune and the New Orleans Advocate, and will have the features of both, as the Georges promise to keep the legacy of both papers.
-- For approximately the next month (as of May 2), both The Picayune and nola.com will operate as they do now. When the new paper and web site debut, it will have all the features, including comics and puzzles, that appear in both papers.
-- The Advocate will be expanding its New Orleans news, advertising and circulation staff by hiring from current nola.com and Times-Picayune employees and will increase its coverage of suburban communities, sports and arts and entertainment, and also improve its opinion pages.
-- Before the launch of the new newspaper and web site, the Advocate sales and circulation staffs will be contacting current advertisers and subscribers to ensure a seamless transition.
The announced purchase of The Times-Picayune and nola.com by Dathel and John Georges returns one of Louisiana’s most distinguished news organizations to local ownership.
In an era of retrenchment and cutbacks in the news industry, we believe local ownership is the best way to preserve the voices that can help nourish and unite our communities.
Thursday’s announcement will lead to the combining of The New Orleans Advocate and theneworleansadvocate.com with The Times-Picayune and nola.com.
It will not affect The Advocate’s operations in Baton Rouge or Acadiana.
To Advocate and Times-Picayune, nola.com readers: 7 key facts about the news of Thursday's sale
The Advocate has been locally owned for all of its 177 years, chiefly by the Manship family. The Manships sold the newspaper and its state-of-the-art printing plant to the Georges family in 2013. Under the Georges family, The Advocate expanded its coverage in New Orleans and Acadiana, helping to knit together the communities of South Louisiana.
We were guided by the view that Louisiana is a place that values tradition, including a morning newspaper and a strong cup of coffee. Readers and advertisers seem to have agreed, and they helped make us successful.
The Times-Picayune was locally owned until 1962, when it was purchased by the family of Samuel I. Newhouse of New York. Newhouse family members moved to New Orleans to manage the new purchase, and the new owners improved the news coverage. When Hurricane Katrina scattered the company’s subscribers and advertisers, others might have folded their tent, but the Newhouse family doubled down on its support for New Orleans.
Its decision to sell continues the Newhouses' legacy of loyalty to Louisiana.
We look forward to welcoming some new colleagues, serving new subscribers, helping new advertisers grow their businesses — and tirelessly listening to all of the voices in the great communities we serve.
It is ironic that the Newhouses actually sold the newspaper. Ironic because they spurned Tom Benson's offer to purchase the Times-Picayune after they announced their plans to decimate the newspaper in 2013. Earlier post on the fall of the Times-Picayune. It's nice to see someone step up to the plate for local journalism. A shame Finney and Roesler aren't around to see it.
8 comments:
This is really great news and I wish them the best even though some of the few TP/Nola.com employees left will be out of jobs in the process.
Will they please purchase The Clarion Ledger?
Big journalism is dead.
The Morning Advocate is probably the best daily newspaper in the south. Quality in every way. This is great news for TP readers. The George family knows newspapers. I am happy to see this.
Across the state local press and media fill their pages with Pollyanna Propaganda and pretend it's news because they are afraid the truth might offend an advertiser. As a result those who look mainly to their daily paper and tv station for news are as clueless as the homeless living under the bridges while those who tune in to network news and talk radio get the political agenda that best suits them but with little honest investigative journalism involved.
Someone long ago said that without an informed public democracy cannot survive. If he was right we won't have much longer to enjoy it.
For the past 15 years, 100 cities have lost their newspapers.
Hope JJ keeps on kicking. Just as much content here as the C-L.
I like to toon in to this here blog so I can get my opinion adjusted twice a day by Rod Knox. He provides just the squelch fine adjustment my antenna requires. The only man I know whose barrel is twisted in a knot but claims to be a straight shooter.
Hold on! I almost forgot about Pete Perry.
Just think how boring a day 2:15 would have without me to criticize. I feel better knowing I'm a blessing to him and a few others.
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