Heath Ledger death underscores prepared obituaries

A major discussion in newsrooms this week is the practice of developing advance obituaries of famous names.  Some eyebrows have been raised in extending the routine to those in the under-30 category.

The topic was spotlighted with the revelation that Associated Press has prepared an obit on 26-year-old Britney Spears.

It was underscored yesterday with the death of 28-year-old actor Heath Ledger in New York.  Ledger was nominated for an Oscar for his role in “Brokeback Mountain.”

Preparing such obits, especially on major newspapers, is nothing new.  It’s been going on for decades, reminds Grumpy Editor.

With those in the entertainment field, for example, reaching high levels at younger ages than a half-century ago and living lives of obviously dangerous excess in some cases, it’s entirely appropriate to get background and career details written and stored in computers.

All that’s needed when the unthinkable occurs is the addition of a “fresh top” (a paragraph or two) to the prepared text.

Preparing obits in advance is even more important now with slimmer editorial staffs on an increasing number of publications.  An unexpected drug overdose or a fatal accident such as with an airplane crash or a boating mishap always seems to come close to deadlines, late at night or on weekends.

AP has about 1,000 prepared obits on file, while the Washington Post has around 100 and the Los Angeles Times about 400.

Handling the suddenly departed is big at the Los Angeles Times, for example.  It has an obit staff of seven, including an obituary editor, a deputy editor and five writers.