Mary Tutwiler

The Advocate hires former Advertiser reporter

by Mary Tutwiler

Award-winning reporter Jason Brown, formerly a writer for The Daily Advertiser, has joined the team at the Acadiana desk of the The Advocate. Brown was hired to replace long time reporter Kevin Blanchard, who is headed to law school this fall and is currently working for Cox Communications as a competitive analyst. Brown worked for The Advertiser from 2004 through March 2008, first on the cops beat and then as the paper’s public service reporter. In 2005 he won first place in the annual Louisiana Press Association awards for Investigative Reporting, as well as first place for his public service coverage in the Best of Gannett awards. Gannett owns The Daily Advertiser. Brown was honored with another LPA first place in 2007 for Best Continuing Coverage of a Governmental Issue.

Brown brings solid reporting and engaging writing to The Advocate, says Patrick Courreges, The Advocate's Acadiana Bureau chief. “We’ve read his work for years,” says Courreges. “Jason’s always looking for stories that interest people. We’re real glad to have him.” Brown, 30, is a Jonesville native. He will be covering police, courts and outlying parishes for The Advocate.

To read Brown’s story in today’s Advocate about a young girl who was honored by the city of Opelousas and Acadian Ambulance for her quick thinking, which saved her father’s life, click here.