I just died
I've always been fascinated by the practice of advance obituaries, when newspapers pre-write obits for prominent figures and TV networks prepare mini-docs ready to drop on air the minute someone drops dead. The Queen Mum's obit was, reportedly, first written 63 years before she actually died. Bob Hope's obit was accidentally released on to the wire years before his death, which amused Hope. When I interviewed a producer at CBC's the National several years ago, there was a tape marked "Pope obit" sitting atop a stack on on his desk.
It's kind of the best and the worst about the media in general. Sure, news outlets are on the ball, ready to go with instant information, but you don't have to be superstitious to find the practice more than a little cold, even macabre.
The New York Times have decided to be a little more open, talking with old people about how they want to be remembered. They've posted a video obit of the recently departed humour writer Art Buchwald. And Buchwald opens with the line "Hi. I'm Art Buchwald, and I just died."
[Link]
It's kind of the best and the worst about the media in general. Sure, news outlets are on the ball, ready to go with instant information, but you don't have to be superstitious to find the practice more than a little cold, even macabre.
The New York Times have decided to be a little more open, talking with old people about how they want to be remembered. They've posted a video obit of the recently departed humour writer Art Buchwald. And Buchwald opens with the line "Hi. I'm Art Buchwald, and I just died."
[Link]
Labels: death, journalism, media
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