The Advocate: Louisiana's Largest Daily Newspaper
The Advocate stands as the largest daily newspaper in Louisiana, serving as a primary source of news for the southern region of the state. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, the publication has evolved from a 19th-century periodical into a modern media powerhouse with a wide reach across several key Louisiana markets.
Beyond its main operations, the paper maintains a strong presence through specialized editions, including The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate, The Shreveport-Bossier City Advocate, and The Acadiana Advocate. Its portfolio also extends to niche publications such as gambit, which focuses on New Orleans culture and food, and weekly entertainment magazines like Red (Baton Rouge and Lafayette) and Beaucoup (New Orleans).
Key Facts
- Founded: 1925, with ancestral roots dating back to 1842.
- Ownership: Owned by Georges Media (John and Dathel Georges).
- Headquarters: 10705 Rieger Road, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
- Major Achievement: Won a Pulitzer Prize in 2019 for Local Reporting.
- Format: Broadsheet daily newspaper.
A Legacy of Journalism: From 1842 to the Present
The history of The Advocate is deeply intertwined with the political and social evolution of Louisiana. Its earliest ancestor, the Democratic Advocate, was established in 1842 as a pro-Democrat, anti-Whig periodical. Over the following decades, the publication underwent several transformations, including a merger with the Louisiana Capitolian in 1868 and a transition to daily publication by 1889.
In 1904, owner William Hamilton renamed the paper The Baton Rouge Times and later The State-Times, shifting the focus toward local news. By 1909, the paper was acquired by Capital City Press, founded by Charles P. Manship Sr. and James Edmonds. Manship eventually took full control in 1912 and launched The Morning Advocate in 1925 to provide a dedicated focus on national news.
The Manship family expanded their media influence significantly, adding radio station WJBO in 1932 and television station WBRZ-TV in 1955. While The State-Times ceased publication in October 1991, The Advocate continued as the sole descendant of the original 1842 paper until the Manship family sold the company in 2013.
Expansion into New Orleans and Acadiana
A pivotal shift occurred on October 1, 2012, when The Advocate began distributing a daily New Orleans edition. This move was a strategic response to a gap in the market created when New Orleans' long-standing daily, The Times-Picayune, reduced its print schedule to just three days a week.
In April 2013, businessman John Georges and his wife Dathel purchased the newspaper through their holding company, Georges Media. Under their leadership, the paper relaunched The New Orleans Advocate on August 18, 2013, and later expanded further with The Acadiana Advocate to serve Lafayette and the surrounding region. In 2018, the company also acquired the weekly Gambit and bestofneworleans.com.
Pulitzer Prize and Legal Impact
In 2019, The Advocate earned its first Pulitzer Prize in the Local Reporting category. The award recognized a series of reports that exposed Louisiana's discriminatory conviction system. Specifically, the reporting focused on a Jim Crow-era law that allowed defendants to be sent to jail without a unanimous jury verdict—a practice then existing only in Louisiana and Oregon.
The reporting highlighted significant racial disparities in sentencing and incarceration. This journalistic effort fueled a voter-education campaign that led Louisiana voters to approve a constitutional amendment on November 6, 2018, requiring unanimous jury verdicts for convictions.
Merging with The Times-Picayune
In May 2019, the Georges family purchased its primary competitor, The Times-Picayune. On July 1, 2019, the two publications merged their websites and print operations into a single entity that publishes seven days a week, utilizing both nameplates. This merger did not affect the independent operations of the Baton Rouge and Lafayette editions.
Publication Overview
The following table summarizes the current operational details of The Advocate.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Owner | Georges Media |
| Publisher | Judi Terzotis |
| Editor | Rene Sanchez |
| Daily Circulation | 36,685 |
| Sunday Circulation | 42,064 |
| Website | theadvocate.com |
Frequently Asked Questions
When was The Advocate founded?
The modern paper was founded in 1925, though it has a heritage dating back to the Democratic Advocate, which was established in 1842.
Who currently owns The Advocate?
The newspaper is owned by Georges Media, a holding company owned by John and Dathel Georges, who purchased the paper on April 30, 2013.
Why did The Advocate win a Pulitzer Prize?
The paper won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting for its investigation into Louisiana's non-unanimous jury laws and the resulting racial disparities in the justice system.
What happened to The Times-Picayune?
The Times-Picayune was purchased by the Georges family in 2019 and merged with The New Orleans Advocate to create a combined daily publication.
Which regions does The Advocate serve?
While based in Baton Rouge, it serves the southern portion of Louisiana through various editions, including New Orleans, Shreveport, Bossier City, and the Acadiana region.