Today’s New York Times news has to do with the buying of content from former Chicago Tribune employees. Considering that Sam Zell ran the Tribune and his other assets into bankruptcy, there’s a certain irony in those writers and editors (who formed a lawsuit against Zell last year) teaming up with Arthur Sulzberger and Co. to provide material for another paper.

And James E. O’Shea, a former Los Angeles Times editor and Chicago Tribune managing editor, is defecting to the new Chicago-based non-profit group, The Chicago News Cooperative, that will be providing the Times with local content for its Chicago edition — which is similar to the Bay Area edition launched last week.

Also part of the group, which is funded in part by The MacArthur Foundation (known for their NPR patronage and support of journalists) is Ann Marie Lipinski, former Tribune editor. That’s both great news for the Times, which is looking expand its local content to different areas of the nation, and a giant stick in Zell’s craw. Everyone wins?

Chicago News Venture To Sell Content To New York Times — New York Times