Over a year ago, I launched a Substack blog called Louisiana First Standard, publishing my first article on January 10, 2024. In addition to my regular articles here on The Hayride, I’ve spent countless hours writing, editing, and publishing content on Louisiana First Standard.

While browsing Twitter/X the other day, I stumbled upon a surprising discovery—one that warranted further investigation and today’s article. A local media outlet, BRProud.com, rebranded itself as Louisiana First News on January 10, 2025.

Are you kidding me? Exactly one year after I started Louisiana First Standard, a far-left local media outlet essentially hijacked my blog’s name.

This revelation led me to investigate the new “Louisiana Last” local media outlet–which led to an even more shocking discovery: This “local media” outlet is actually owned by Nextstar media group.

Who is Nextstar media?

Nextstar is a publicly-traded, multi-billion dollar company that owns more than 200 different television and 140 local news website across the country.

Well then, who owns Nextstar media?

As of the end of 2024, institutional investors Vanguard and BlackRock Inc. owned nearly 20% of Nexstar Media’s total stock.

Yes, you read that correctly. A national media conglomerate partially owned by BlackRock and Vanguard, runs several television stations in Louisiana—including WGNO in New Orleans, KTAL-TV in Shreveport, KLFY-TV in Lafayette, and WGMB-TV in Baton Rouge—as well as the former BRProud.com, now rebranded as Louisiana First News.

Louisiana First News … presented by Blackrock?

Like it or not, a national outlet owned by globalist financial institutions is dictating the news that Louisiana residents consume. That doesn’t sound very “Louisiana First” to me.

Local, independent media like The Hayride, WGSO Radio in New Orleans, and my Substack, Louisiana First Standard, are among the few remaining bulwarks against the globalist takeover of Louisiana’s media landscape.

“Louisiana Last News” and the Louisiana Illuminator (under the States Newsroom umbrella) are two of the most egregious examples of national media conglomerates wielding their power by injecting far-left media narratives into Louisiana’s local media landscape. This is nothing short of an attack on our state’s sovereignty by a corrupt media machine.

The saddest part is that supposedly “conservative” politicians are not immune to the influence coming from these “Louisiana Last” media conglomerates. During the 2024 election cycle, Congressman Mike Johnson accepted $5k in campaign contributions from a PAC associated with Blackrock-owned Nextstar media group.

Additionally. Governor Jeff Landry shared a link to the far-left Louisiana Illuminator article on his official Twitter/X  account several months ago as a “news source.”

Louisiana doesn’t need a globalist media conglomerate (Nexstar Media Group) or a far-left media network from Washington, D.C. (States Newsroom) dictating our news. What our state needs are authentically “Louisiana First” media outlets—run by actual Louisiana residents—to discuss Louisiana politics and culture.

So next time you read an article about local news, make sure it was written by true “Louisiana First” patriots.

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Nathan Koenig is a frequent contributor to RVIVR.com, a national conservative political site affiliated with The Hayride. Follow his writing on the Louisiana First Standard Substack, on Twitter (X) @LAFirstStandard, on Tik Tok @la.first.standard & on Instagram @lafirststandard. Email him here: louisianafirststandard@proton.me