For the first time since 2012, NOLA.com has a new homepage design.

The Paducah (Ky.) Sun will transition to a new website this week. The plan is to bring the new site online Wednesday morning.

The Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet developed an algorithm guided partially by editors and partially by reader preferences that delivers a personalized home page for each website visitor. Editor-in-Chief Fredric Karén credits the technology with a significant boost in online traffic and digital subscriptions.

This week we explore a publishing platform that integrates story components in a unique way, and a startup that organizes news reports around historical context.

This week we see how TwitterTrails evaluates the credibility of a rumor spreading in social media, and we learn how new tools are making it easier to extract data from websites.

This week we learn about the work of viral content editors, and we see how public data can be pulled together to monitor the work of lawmakers.

This week we learn about a collaboration to build an open-source commenting and discussion platform for news organizations, and we explore how the Verification Handbook can help inform the use of citizen-generated materials.

The Sumter Item has introduced a new look that features two nameplates (for vertical and horizontal layout options on the front page), as well as a five-column grid for ads and editorial. In a few weeks, a new look is coming to its website, as well.

In this week's Futures Lab update, the Reynolds Journalism Institute explores how better use of analytics and data could help newsrooms improve their coverage and connect with audiences.

With so many publishing platforms and social networks available, there's no reason for a news organization to go dark when its website is down. But it must have a good plan in advance. Here are the steps to get ready.