When I visited the headquarters of the Chicago News Cooperative in early November, the news room was barren, save a large reproduction of the company logo and a table covered in electronics. The sign has a simple sans serif typeface in black and red, and is as understated as the two rows of fresh-from-the-box IBMs and unused desk phones. The room also had a brand-new desktop printer in it when I arrived, but no paper, to the editor's dismay.

Though it comes from quiet beginnings and an only moderately-publicized deal between former editors of the LA Times and the Chicago Tribune, respectively, Jim O'Shea and James Warren, and the New York Times, the CNC is out in print. Expect to see more and more alternative coverage of Chicago politics and culture in the paper's Friday and Sunday print editions.

The CNC, as the website says, "produces public-interest journalism focused on Chicago, its politics and policy, culture and the arts, and the diverse communities of the metropolitan area." Look out for a more dynamic web presence in the new year, when the CNC "expects to launch a Web site that will be the hub of its operation, and introduce novel ways to connect the community with our news room in a two-way exchange of information."

More local journalism by some Chicago Tribune legends--your guess is as good as mine how this idealistic attempt to re-invent the 24-hour news cycle will pan out.