Quiet Structure
This is a really interesting article from 2007 comparing the CNN website design with USA Today‘s site, in terms of page structure, individual component layout, and the amount of visual weight the structural elements add to a page:
http://www.andyrutledge.com/quiet-structure.php
Quiet structure is achieved when you de–emphasize the structural elements; the containing boxes, structural lines, bullets, structural color elements, etc… and bring a rhythmical consistency to the layout. The result is that the content becomes more conspicuous and the overall clarity of presentation is greatly enhanced.
The article makes some great points and uses illustrations to great effect:
http://www.andyrutledge.com/quiet-structure.php
As a design approach I think the idea of a “quiet structure” is something that would work really well with any content-heavy site.