The Advocate’s newly-announced New Orleans edition may see an influx of subscribers, according to a study conducted by the University’s Public Policy Research Lab.

The study, released Oct. 2, details New Orleanians’ reactions to cutting back the Times-Picayune to three days a week. The study also examined the potential exchange of subscribers from The Times-Picayune to the Advocate.

Michael Climek, operations manager of the Public Policy Research Lab, said the study was conducted because of the Manship School of Mass Communication’s  status as a top-tier institution and its proximity to New Orleans. Climek said one of the more interesting findings was that a large portion of citizens plans to purchase a subscription to the Advocate’s New Orleans edition.

“One half of Times-Picayune subscribers said they plan to buy the Advocate,” he said. “And, one third of those that don’t subscribe to The Times-Pic plan to purchase The Advocate.”

Half of the participants also said they plan to read The Advocate online. Many of the respondents didn’t know that Nola.com and The Times-Picayune are connected.

“It is interesting that people didn’t know that Nola.com was The Times-Pic’s website,” said Lina Brou, a Public Policy Center analyst. “That is really a brand they need to establish if they are serious about going to a three-day edition.”

Initial reports of citizens’ transitions to The Advocate have been negative. Engineering sophomore Kylie Breaux said her parents didn’t receive the Baton Rouge-based paper for three days.

“I know they were supposed to receive the paper on the first,” Breaux said. “But I talked to them a few days ago and they said they didn’t get a paper until the fourth. If they plan to take over New Orleans, they need to do a better job than that.”

However, Climek said the initial reception from the research has been positive.

“We have gotten a good amount of local media attention,” he said. “I think the Manship School and the Reilly Center plan to make a book out of the whole thing.”