By james art PORT ALLEN – On Thursday, the latest edition of The West Side Journal hit newsstands and front door steps.
On the front page, an article written by the magazine’s publisher and owner, George Jenne, expressed gratitude to readers over the decades.
“The West Side Journal will cease publication after 88 years of service to our community,” Jenne wrote.
When WBRZ visited the West Side Journal office in Port Allen on Wednesday, the paper’s general manager said no one could comment on the paper’s current status or discuss who the paper’s next owner might be.
The newspaper announcement did not give a reason why The West Side Journal is ceasing publication.
Port Allen Mayor Richard Lee said the paper was there when he was elected 10 years ago.
“It’s heartbreaking because every municipality wants to have its own newspaper that caters to the general public,” Lee said.
Lee said the city has reached out to The Advocate to release its public announcements, but he said local news won’t be the same with The West Side closing.
“A lot of them will be lost because the paper serves many more areas than just Baton Rouge. Serving New Orleans, Lafayette, etc. But that’s part of the business,” Lee said.
The West Side Journal was the official newspaper of West Baton Rouge Parish. On Thursday, West Baton Rouge Parish President Jason Manola signed an executive order accepting the Advocate as the official newspaper of West Baton Rouge until Nov. 14, when further action can be taken. Manola said it’s important to have a local newspaper that reports local news.
“I can remember my childhood when the West Side Journal was very important, being at all our local events at our schools, at our recess, just telling this story of West Baton Rouge, who we are and what we’re all about.” , Manola said.
The West Baton Rouge Museum relied on the magazine to publicize its events and programs.
“There’s nothing better than print newspapers,” said Tonya Wyandon of the West Baton Rouge Museum’s public relations department. “It’s a loss to the community any time a newspaper folds, any time we lose communication for a parish, it’s definitely a loss to the parish.”
The fate of the West Side Journal is not uncommon. According to the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern, the closure creates another “journalistic desert” in Louisiana. Two parishes in north Louisiana have no local news. In south Louisiana, the magazine’s closure leaves St. Helena and West Baton Rouge without local media.
“As public relations for the museum, we worked hand-in-hand with The West Side Journal on a weekly basis, they were the most amazing, supportive team,” Wyandon said. “We will truly miss them.”
WBRZ has also reached out to the Louisiana Press Association for comment. In a statement, LPA Executive Director J. McHugh David Jr. wrote:
The Louisiana Press Association is always disappointed when a member’s newspaper closes. We at LPA work closely with our members and many times get to know them on a personal level. The Westside Journal had done an excellent job of covering West Baton Rouge Parish for 88 years and they will be missed.
News and community coverage are the backbone of any place people call home. As such, LPA looks forward to seeing who will step up to cover important community and government events in West Baton Rouge Parish.