Almost four years ago, Bivings Group listed 9 Ways for Newspapers to Improve Their Websites
- Use taxonomy tags to cut across traditional newspaper “section” names
- Use full-text RSS feeds (like blogs do)
- Work with “Social” websites
- Link stories to relevant blog entries (“who’s blogging about this?” links)
- Eliminate registration
- Partner with bloggers for local news coverage
- Offer readers alternative organizational schemes (most read, most blogged, etc.)
- Modernize the visual design of news sites
- Learn from Craigslist’s simplicity and efficiency
- Make sites work on PDAs and phones
It’s a good checklist to see how many have adopted the principles.