Newspaper Death Notices May Be a Dying Business

Hugh Pickens writes "Alan D. Mutter writes in his journalism blog 'Reflections of a Newsosaur' that some newspapers exploit bereaved families with exorbitantly priced death notices — a distasteful and strategically inept way for them to try to make ends meet. 'I stumbled across the problem this week when I tried to buy a death notice in ... the San Francisco Chronicle, which proposed charging $450 for the one-day run of a crappy-looking, 182-word death notice,' writes Mutter. But lose the death notice business, and newspapers risk losing a huge audience driver as well. The solution may be partnering with websites like Legacy.com, a site that already publishes death notices for about two-thirds of the people who die each day in the US. 'It may not be easy to figure out the terms of a broader collaboration, writes Rich Gordon on Poynter.org, 'partly because some newspaper executives are wary of Legacy and feel the company could become a competitive threat for audiences and revenue. But this is exactly the reaction many newspaper executives had to collaborating with Internet companies in other classified advertising categories. I'd hate to see newspapers make the same mistake with death notices and obituaries.'"

Comments

Every respectful person...

[Anonymous Coward]

Every respectful person is sure to twitter his or her death as it's happening.

Re:Every respectful person...

[Peach Rings]

Her heart sank down and down, there was no bottom to death, she couldn’t come to the end of it. The blue light from Cornelia’s lampshade drew into a tiny point in the center of her brain, it flickered and winked like an eye, quietly it fluttered and dwindled. Granny laid curled down within herself, amazed and watchful, staring at the point of light that was herself; her body was now only a deeper mass of shadow in an endless darkness and this darkness would curl around the light and swallow it up. God, give a sign!

For a second time there was no sign. Again no bridegroom and the priest in the house. She could not remember any other sorrow because this grief wiped them all away. Oh, no, there’s nothing more cruel than this – I’ll never forgive it. She stretched herself with a deep breath, took out her cell phone, and fired off a quick tweet.

Re:Every respectful person...

[Anonymous Coward]

I had my innate Bad Fanfiction Alert(tm) warning resounding throughout my head by the twelfth word. Preserve your sanity today for only $9.99!

It doesn't matter

[$RANDOMLUSER]

I only believe death notices from Netcraft.

and some folks look for their own Obit

[RobertLTux]

if they are not in the paper they then continue on their day

Re:They'll be pricing themselves out of the market

[martin-boundary]

Bah, what do you want a website for that people have to visit themselves? Just pay a Nigerian Spammer $5 and they'll post a death notice to everyone's mailbox!

Re:Nerdly Expectations and Requirements

[martin-boundary]

"And his services will be held in his home town and on IRC where his computer still has him logged in, even if he hasn't said anything since 1998"

He's just spending a year or two dead for tax purposes.

Re:Huge audience driver?

[ManlySpork]

So should we have them put our slashdot nicknames and member numbers in the newspapers? Quick all you Anonymous Cowards, this might be your last chance to not die as an AC. You might not live to see tomorrow, never know.

Old one, but (almost) On Topic.

[Myrddin Wyllt]

So Manny dies - Sarah rings the Golders Green Chronicle and says "My husband just passed away, how much do you charge for a Death Notice"
"Ten pounds per word." comes the reply.
"A little steep," says Sarah, "but at times like these it can't be helped - just write 'Manny's Dead'"
"Sorry madam, but we have a fifty pound minimum charge"
"Hmmm...Ok, well could you put 'Manny's Dead. Volvo for Sale.'?"

Re:Huge audience driver?

[Locke2005]

Every morning I check the obits and the financial pages. If I'm not listed as either dead or a millionaire, I get up and go to work.

Me wonders how much the newspapers will charge themselves for documenting their own demise.