The two sites assessed on different criteria, to see which is making the most of its internet potential.
Hyperlinking
The New York Times uses this to good effect, linking to topics which it covers in other articles. The San Francisco Chronicle sometimes links to related articles, but doesn't use hyperlinks within the actual copy. Verdict: New York Times.
Video and audio
Other than live views of the Bay Area, there appear to be no video on SFgate.com. The New York Times offers both audio (as in this article) and video, which is embedded into the article and made available via its specific video section. The videos in this example come from Reuters. Verdict: New York Times
Social networking
The San Francisco Chronicle is on Twitter and Facebook. The New York Times is on Twitter and Facebook also. Verdict: The New York Times, as its Twitter is more frequently updated.
Overall
The New York Times (clearly) makes the better use of its online prescence. Also, many of the prominent pieces on SFgate.com were lifted straight from AP - and in this piece, it even leaves in text intended only for editors which reads: "THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below." A quick Google search shows that nearly a million other online articles are guilty of including this too, however.
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