The Advocate buys four weekly newspapers

The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.) is acquiring four weekly newspapers to increase its coverage of the Baton Rouge area as it continues to expand across south Louisiana.

The papers are the Zachary Plainsman-News in Zachary, The Watchman in East Feliciana Parish, The St. Francisville Democrat in West Feliciana Parish and The St. Helena Echo in Greensburg.

The terms of the agreement between Capital City Press – the parent company of The Advocate – and Louisiana State Newspapers weren't disclosed.

The sale of the four newspapers includes the assets of their websites and a free "shopper" publication, the Zachary Plainsman-Xtra.

Advocate Publisher John Georges, who purchased Capital City Press in 2013, said the move builds upon the company's strategy to give advertisers and readers more options for local news, in print and online. The Advocate recently upgraded its weekly publications in Ascension and Livingston parishes and started a weekly Southside Advocate in a section of East Baton Rouge Parish.

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