What Will Happen to Obituaries When Newspapers Die?
Obituaries have been an important part of American grieving and funeral practices for two hundred years. Obituaries have always been associated with newspapers. Even before he longer form obituaries we are used to today, newspapers often printed brief death notices. But, even though print newspapers have been a part of American culture from the beginning, newspapers are in bad shape. What will happen to obituaries when the newspapers are all gone?
The Importance of Obituaries to Newspapers
Newspapers essentially invented obituaries. They were a part of the community building focus many newspapers had. However, beyond tradition and cultural, newspapers are now financially dependent on obituaries. While newspapers have long charged to print obituaries, it used to be just to cover the cost of the paper and ink.
Today as other revenue sources have dried, advertisers have flocked online, and subscriptions are down, obituaries represent one of the few profit centers newspapers have left.
One of the consequences of this financial dependence is the drastic increase in the rates papers charge. Over the past 35 years, obituaries have increased in price 1,000%!
Newspapers Aren’t Coming Back
No matter how much we all love newspapers, they are not coming back. Newspapers have been slowly dying for decades. Over the next several years the price of traditional obituaries will continue to increase as newspapers continue to struggle and disappear. One question that is not often asked when the future of newspapers is discussed is what will happen to obituaries?
Online Obituaries Already Taking Over
Just like people turn to the internet to read the news and the classifieds section has gone online, obituaries are also transitioning to digital. The online obituary industry is growing quickly. Already most obituaries are printed and listed online. However, an increasingly large number of people are foregoing print obituaries altogether and only listing obituaries online.
Studies show that people prefer the lower cost of online obituaries and all the other options that are just not available with print obituaries.
What People Like Most About Online Obituaries
When an obituary appears in print, it is only available for a short time. If the newspaper were to fail, the archives of obituaries may be lost, even if they are also listed online.
MyObits can be shared anywhere. They can be posted on social media, on private websites, on online directories. They can even be emailed or shared via text.
People enjoy the flexibility of sharing the obituaries of their loved ones and the peace of mind of knowing that they will always be available somewhere online.
While newspapers charge per word and per black and white photo, online obituaries provide much greater flexibility. It is easier to capture the unique spirit of a loved one online than it is with the constraints of print.
No matter what happens with newspapers, obituaries are here to stay in our culture. They will continue to move online and they will continue to evolve and change.
