A new Web site offering local news to residents of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is staffed by journalists who left other publications due to newspaper downsizing, which they say is causing quality local coverage to suffer.

MinnPost.com, led by Joel Kramer, a former Minneapolis Star Tribune publisher and editor, is meant to pick up the quality journalism in the area that its staffers say is lacking, due to downsizing at area newspapers.

There is not an exact model for MinnPost, and its creators are not trying to replace traditional newspapers, Kramer told the Associated Press. The site is aiming to pick up readership from 15 to 20 percent of the population – readers who look for several news sources a day, and are willing to make yearly donations to keep the site going.

Dan Gillmor, founder of the Center for Citizen Media, told the AP it is important that new journalism ventures are created as traditional news outlets cut down on staff.