In a deal that is expected to be announced Wednesday and has been anticipated for some time, the New York Times will publish select articles directly to Facebook, a place where news is increasingly circulated and consumed. Some might even call this a watershed moment for old-school print journalism.

According to sources close to the deal, New York Magazine reports, the talks have been going on for weeks now, with the CEO of the Times, Mark Thompson, reportedly pressing for a better deal for the paper, and one that won't hurt their established digital subscriber base. The move is likely to be seen as an admission of defeat by Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. as the company has pushed to build their own app platform for stories. Buzzfeed, NBC News, and NatGeo are also said to be involved with the deal.

Reportedly, the newsroom at the Times has been a site of "palpable anxiety" as the deal was underway. In particular, the confidentiality of the project has concerned many, and naturally, questions abound. For instance: Could the Times, for example, report on Facebook, a company whose actions should be carefully tracked by the media, with full objectivity?

"For publishers, Facebook is a bit like that big dog galloping toward you in the park," the late David Carr wrote ominously for the Times last October. "More often than not, it’s hard to tell whether he wants to play with you or eat you."

We'll soon see, since that dog is now decidedly off-leash.