New Louisiana Paper Emerges From Hurricane Katrina

By: Joe Strupp Hurricane Katrina may have forced a number of newspapers to temporarily shut down or at least temporarily limit their reporting efforts. But at least one new paper has emerged as a result of the deadly storm.

The Journal of Jefferson Parish, La. -- the area south of New Orleans severely damaged by the hurricane -- launched on Friday with 7,500 copies of a 20-page product, with plans to expand on both numbers.

"We are hoping that it increases, [but] we don't know what the magic number is, maybe 20,000 or 25,000," Publisher Mark Singletary said of the free weekly's circulation. "It is a huge community that has been underserved for community news."

Singletary, who publishes the weekly New Orleans City Business, saw the post-Katrina situation as ripe for a new local paper. "We think the appetite is tremendous as people bring their businesses back. They need to tell the community they are open," says Singletary, 53, whose 29 years in publishing include stints at several small Texas papers. "We can tell people what is happening in their neighborhood and on their street. This community needs a place to run school news and government news."

The first issue had a lead story on residents returning to the area, as well as articles on the re-opening of schools, local efforts to provide aid, and a list of government offices and their contact information. In a Page One note to readers, Singletary wrote that "opportunity is the reason we've decided to launch."

Currently operating out of a temporary Baton Rouge office, the paper plans to move back to its offices in Metairie, La., as soon as possible. Singletary says he has dedicated three reporters and one editor from the current nine-person City Business staff to the new paper so far. The first issue was dropped at 86 single-copy locations, with plans for home delivery to begin as soon as possible.

Singletary declined to say how much the start-up costs have been, but described them as "incremental."

"It has been well-received," Singletary said about the first issue. "People are coming back to their homes and this is the most inhabitable part of the area, so it seemed like the right time."