Louisiana's The Advocate purchasing The Times-Picayune

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In 2012, The Times-Picayune was New Orleans' Pulitzer-winning juggernaut of local journalism, employing hundreds in a sprawling building in the city and bureaus in surrounding parishes, while The Advocate was the smaller, staid family-owned paper 80 miles west in Baton Rouge — respected for its state government coverage, but no threat to a New Orleans media institution that was as ingrained in the city's culture as Mardi Gras.

Just how much things have changed became suddenly evident on Thursday with the unexpected announcement that George and Dathel Georges, who purchased The Advocate's parent Capital City Press in 2013, have bought the 182-year-old The Times-Picayune from the Newhouse family's Advance Local Media. It marked the ending of a rare 21st century newspaper rivalry in the age of internet-driven media.

Both entities are privately held and didn't disclose terms.

The Times-Picayune name will survive. A story outlining the plans on The Advocate's website said both paper's flags will be on the new daily, home-delivered publication that will debut in June. And the papers will share a website under the nola.com banner currently used by The Times-Picayune.

Read more: https://qconline.com/news/national/louisiana-s-the-advocate-purchasing-the-times-picayune/article_90d669ee-867b-5c8b-8a82-b6c8114797e6.html

Cross-posted in the Media Group.