Tiger Rag, Louisiana Illuminator join forces for investigative news on LSU

by Louisiana Illuminator, Louisiana Illuminator
September 19, 2024

Two Baton Rouge-based news organizations have formed an investigative news partnership with focused coverage on LSU and its athletics program, leadership with both newsrooms announced Thursday. 

Tiger Rag, an independent publication that’s covered LSU sports for 46 years, and the Louisiana Illuminator, a State Capitol-based newsroom, will team for in-depth reporting on the inner workings of the university and its sports endeavors. 

“Many see investigative reporting as disruptive. However, it serves a vital purpose in our view,” TigerRag.com’s Vice President-Executive Editor Todd Horne said. 

“This type of reporting reveals hidden information, whether intentionally or not. It takes time, often weeks, months, or even years, to gather and publish truthful and accurate stories. The effort and resources needed are significant. And that’s the reason we are combining resources with the Illuminator. It’s important and underserved currently,” Horne said.

Tiger Rag is a sister company to Louisiana Radio Network (LRN), a state radio network based in Baton Rouge that produces news, sports, business and agricultural news programming distributed via satellite to 50 affiliates throughout Louisiana and parts of Mississippi. LRN is a sponsor of the annual Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction

Launched in 1974, the network was acquired in 2010 by Jim Engster, who has been involved with LRN since 1983.

The Louisiana Illuminator, started in 2020, is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. Its mission as an independent, nonpartisan news source is to cast light on how decisions are made in Baton Rouge and how they affect the lives of everyday Louisiana residents, particularly those who are poor or otherwise marginalized. 

The partnership also marks a reunion of sorts. Greg LaRose, editor in chief of the Illuminator, led Tiger Rag as its editor from 1997-2002.

“Tiger Rag has consistently set itself apart with its commitment to strong journalism, rather than being part of the fandom echo chamber,” LaRose said. “We see this as a great opportunity to connect with a highly engaged and informed readership. Tiger Rag readers are more than just emotionally invested in LSU — they want what’s best for the university.” 

Leading the partnership’s coverage will be Illuminator reporter Piper Hutchinson, a graduate of LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication and former editor in chief of The Reveille. At the student-run newspaper, she emphasized off-the-field athletics coverage that highlighted the intersection of sports, higher education and politics.

Hutchinson’s past reporting uncovered behind-the-scenes efforts in the Louisiana Legislature to secure funding for a new Maravich Assembly Center. She also revealed failures from the LSU Faculty Senate and Faculty Council to comply with the state’s open meetings law. 

Under their partnership, Tiger Rag and the Illuminator will copublish its special investigations and continuing coverage of LSU. As with all Illuminator reporting, these articles will also be available for other news outlets to republish under a Creative Commons license.

Louisiana Illuminator is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Louisiana Illuminator maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Greg LaRose for questions: [email protected]. Follow Louisiana Illuminator on Facebook and X.