"The intent is to do basically an edition of the Herald, but just like the Herald in Broward County [Fla.] carries Broward news, this will carry news of Mexico," said Herald Publisher Alberto Ibargüen.

The Herald's Mexican edition follows the model of its various international editions. The local paper, in this case the 225,000-circulation El Universal, prints and distributes the Herald, and provides a page or more of news, which is translated into English. The Herald's Mexican edition was formally launched three weeks ago and by Feb. 19 was selling in excess of 5,500 copies daily, Ibargüen said. While that number may sound modest, it's probably at least as much as the English-language daily, The Mexico City News, was selling before it was shut down Dec. 31 after 53 years of publication.

Ibargüen said the Herald had wanted to publish a Mexico City edition for a long time, but that the folding of the News added a "special urgency."

"We had been talking with El Universal off and on for over a year," he said. "Before that we approached [another big Mexico City daily] Reforma. Mexico is just such a big politically and economically important market we wanted to be there. We are in Cancun —but that's mainly a tourist market."