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Regular Session, 2012 ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 198
BY SENATORS MORRELL, ADLEY, ALARIO, ALLAIN, AMEDEE, APPEL,
BROOME, BROWN, BUFFI NGTON, CHABERT, CL AITOR,
CORTEZ, CROWE, DONAHUE, DORSEY-COLOMB, ERDEY,
GALLOT, GUILLORY, HEITMEIER, JOHNS, KOSTELKA,
LAFLEUR, LONG, MARTINY, MILLS, MORRISH, MURRAY,
NEVERS, PEACOCK, PERRY, PETERSON, RISER, GARY SMITH,
JOHN SMITH, TARVER, THOMPSON, WALSWORTH, WARD AND
WHITE
A RESOLUTION
To urge and request the owners of The Times-Picayune to continue to publish a daily print
edition of the newspaper, to commend the staff of the newspaper for steadfast
dedication to excellence in journalism, and to recognize the singular place the
newspaper holds in the history of New Orleans and in the lives of the citizens who
rely on its daily print edition for news and information.
WHEREAS, the daily print edition of The Times-Picayune has long been a fixture
in the lives of the citizens of New Orleans; and
WHEREAS, the newspaper is owned by Advance Publications, which is owned by
the Newhouse family; and
WHEREAS, on Thursday, May 24th, 2012, Advance Publications announced that
beginning in the fall of 2012, the print edition of The Times-Picayune will be published on
a reduced schedule of only three days a week, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday; and
WHEREAS, it was also announced that there will be a reduction in the size of the
newspaper's workforce, which is composed of extremely talented and loyal employees; and
WHEREAS, the news that The Times-Picayune will no longer be printed on a daily
basis has been met with widespread shock and profound sorrow, and many citizens consider
the idea of the city of New Orleans without a daily newspaper simply unfathomable; and
WHEREAS, many people who rely on the print edition of The Times-Picayune for
daily news do not have access to the Internet and will be without a source for critical news
and information four days a week; and
WHEREAS, for its staff's consistently exceptional work, The Times-Picayune has
been the deserving recipient of numerous awards, including several Pulitzer Prizes, such as
those in 2006 in the category of Public Service "for its heroic, multi-faceted coverage of SR NO. 198 ENROLLED
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Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, making exceptional use of the newspaper's resources
to serve an inundated city even after evacuation of the newspaper plant" and in the category
of Breaking News "for its courageous and aggressive coverage of Hurricane Katrina,
overcoming desperate conditions facing the city and the newspaper"; and
WHEREAS, The Times-Picayune, with origins dating back to 1837, is not merely
a newspaper but a true institution with a passionately devoted readership spanning multiple
centuries and generations; and
WHEREAS, daily delivery of The Times-Picayune is a tradition woven into the very
fabric of New Orleans, and removing it from doorsteps four days a week will have a
significant impact not only on the news consumption but also on the culture of the Crescent
City.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby urge and request the owners of The Times-Picayune to continue to publish a
daily print edition of the newspaper.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate does hereby commend the staff of
The Times-Picayune for steadfast dedication to excellence in journalism.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Senate does hereby recognize and record for
posterity the singular place The Times-Picayune holds not only in the annals of the history
of the city of New Orleans but in the lives of the citizens who rely on its daily print edition
for vital news and information.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Steven Newhouse, Donald Newhouse, Ashton Phelps Jr., and Ricky Mathews.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE