New Thursday edition focuses on Ascension

• By ROXANNE C. HARE
• Advocate marketing writer
• Published: Dec 30, 2005

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• %20On%20March%203,%202005,%20The%20Advocate%20launched%20a%20new,%20weekly%20edition%20geared%20toward%20readers%20in%20one%20of%20the%20highest%20growth%20areas%20in%20the%20state:%20Ascension%20Parish.

  %20The%20Ascension%20edition,%20published%20every%20Thursday%20in%20The%20Advocate,%20does%20not%20replace%20standard%20Ascension%20Parish%20news%20found%20in%20the%20metro%20section%20of%20the%20newspaper;%20it%20provides%20a%20s" target="_new"> Digg

• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

On March 3, 2005, The Advocate launched a new, weekly edition geared toward readers in one of the highest growth areas in the state: Ascension Parish.

The Ascension edition, published every Thursday in The Advocate, does not replace standard Ascension Parish news found in the metro section of the newspaper; it provides a supplement to the regular news while focusing on community issues. Schools, recreational sports, business milestones and human-interest stories are featured.

"The Advocate wanted to reach different segments of people. Readers wanted content tailored more to them," said Kirk Fisher, director of operations at The Advocate.

So far, Ascension readers and business owners have responded positively.

"I've really been excited about how well the Ascension edition has done," said Publisher Doug Manship Jr. "It has been accepted by people in Ascension Parish."

Originally, The Advocate planned on publishing a weekly edition of between four and eight pages. But the amount of content and advertising has called for regularly publishing 12- to 14-page editions.

"It has been enormously successful," said Managing Editor Carl Redman. "The feedback we're getting from our readers is they love it. It has exceeded our expectations, to put it mildly."

The Advocate has added a full-time Ascension edition editor, a full-time reporter, a part-time reporter and a full-time photographer to its Ascension Bureau. The edition's editor, Darlene Denstorff, is an Ascension Parish native and Dutchtown resident who has worked in communications and publications in the parish for the past 25 years.

Denstorff said a major goal of the edition is to focus on positive aspects of the community.

"I spend a lot of time trying to get information on the good things people do in the parish," Denstorff said. "People are pleased to have a section dedicated to Ascension Parish featuring the community's good news."

And that good news comes from a variety of sources, Denstorff said.

"I speak to a lot of educators, different people in all walks of life from moms who want the story about their children who won a beauty contest to the fire departments and not-for-profit organizations," Denstorff said.

The success of the edition has, in part, fueled The Advocate's plan to launch similar editions to provide other suburban areas such as the Westside, the Felicianas and Livingston with community-oriented content.