New web reporting venture debuts in OC

Voice of OC put up its website today. The venture by some veteran Orange County journalists plans to concentrate on hard news.

We'll focus on what's going on behind closed doors and in the corridors of city halls and government agencies throughout Orange County....We’ve got grand plans for our future -- becoming a countywide meeting place for government and politics. A place where you can find voting records, campaign finance and fierce public policy debates. But we're starting out simple -- three reporters, an editor and a strong dose of true grit.

Former Register investigative reporter Norberto Santana, Jr. is the editor-in-chief. The team includes former Los Angees Times reporter Tracy Wood and David Washburn, who had been with Voice of San Diego. The board of directors includes Erwin Chemerinsky and Henry Weinstein of the UC Irvine law school, former Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Weintraub and ex-state Senator Marta Escutia.