Which daily newspapers performed well on the weekly Web site innovation report card?

Note: Each week, Scooping the News selects five U.S. daily newspapers' Web sites and evaluates how well they are performing in three of these five areas used to define innovation. Newspapers with a minimum daily print circulation of 100,000 receive scores. This weekly report card shows who is innovating and who isn't. Innovative newspapers attract online readers.

Scooping the News evaluated the following five newspaper Web sites on their design/navigation, reader presence and evidence of continuous updates. Each newspaper received a score ranging from 1 to 4 based on changes in its Web site from five years ago to present (1 = no change, 2 = limited innovation, 3 = good innovation and 4 = significant innovation). The total of those scores provides an innovation composite score.

1. The Baltimore Sun: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 4; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 12.

2. The Commercial Appeal: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 2; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 2. Innovation composite score = 8.

3. Fresno Bee: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 3; and evidence of continuous updates = 2. Innovation composite score = 8.

4. Houston Chronicle: This is what the Web site looks like today, and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 4; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 11.

5. The Oregonian: This is what the Web sites looks like today; and this is what it looked like five years ago. Area scores: design/navigation = 3; reader presence = 1; and evidence of continuous updates = 4. Innovation composite score = 8.

To review the five newspapers evaluated last Monday, click here.