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An obituary is a notice of the death of a person, usually published in a newspaper, written or commissioned by the newspaper (rather than written by relatives), and usually including a short biography.
Writing obituariesBecause of the short time between the notification of a death and the next publication deadline, most newspapers have one or more clerks who specialize in typing such things as obituaries. Sometimes, this task is given to a cub reporter (often to allow an or to evaluate writing and copyreading skills), although today many obituary clerks also have other duties (such as typing news releases and social news). Many newspaper affiliates (such as the Associated Press) have pre-written obituaries for famous people who are still alive; these obituaries are updated when the well-known person dies. Content of obituariesThe content of obituaries varies, but (at least in American newspapers) usually follow a similar format:
While in the U.S. obituaries are almost always reverent and respectful, in Britain it is far more permissible for the writer to attack or mock the subject. An example is the Daily Telegraph's 2005 obituary of royal commentator Harold Brooks-Baker. Custom obituariesIn recent years, some American newspapers have allowed relatives of the deceased to publish "custom obituaries," or death notices that do not follow the traditional style. "Custom obituaries" frequently include fond memories of the deceased, expanded information about hobbies and other activities in his/her life, etc. Frequently, such notices use euphemisms for the term "died" (e.g., passed away, went to be with his/her Lord, etc.), often to soften the blow of one's passing. Many people are willing to pay a fee to publish "custom obituaries" so they can elaborately tell their beloved's story. These obituaries are very popular with readers (who enjoy reading about friends and strangers beyond routine obituaries), although others believe they deviate from an obituary's true purpose – to acknowledge a death and provide information such as funeral details. Premature obituariesBy definition, obituaries should always be posthumous. Occasionally premature obituaries are published while the person concerned is still alive, either accidentally or intentionally. Most of these are accidental and concern well known personalities (such as Mark Twain and Bob Hope). Some others are published because of miscommunication between newspapers, family members and the funeral home, often resulting in embarrassment for everyone involved. However, some people will seek to have an unsuspecting newspaper or publish a premature obituary out of malice, usually to gain revenge on someone or obtain a financial settlement they believe they are entitled to. To that end, nearly all newspapers now have policies requiring that death notices come from a reliable source (such as a funeral home), though even this has not stopped some pranksters such as Alan Abel. Obituaries in particular publicationsObituaries are a notable feature of The Economist, which publishes precisely one full-page obituary per week, reflecting on the subject's life and influence on world history. Past subjects have ranged from Ray Charles to Uday Hussein. The British Medical Journal encourages doctors to write their own obituaries for publication after their death. Pan Books publishes a series called The Daily Telegraph Book of Obituaries, which are anthologies of obituaries under a common theme, such as military obituaries, sports obituaries, heroes and adventurers, entertainers, rogues, eccentric lives, etc. See also
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