Has Chicago's moment to shine dimmed a bit more?

One of the big payoffs for hosting the NATO summit in Chicago — a chance for the city to star on the international stage — won't be quite as stellar as once hoped.

More than 2,100 journalists applied for credentials by the April 13 deadline, according to a NATO spokesman. That's at the low end of expectations that between 2,000 and 2,500 journalists would show up. It's not about filling hotels and restaurants during the summit — it's about filling airtime and column inches with stories about the city's appeal as a business center and tourism destination.