“These stockpiles of obits sit dormant in their databases, awaiting entry to the world at a moment’s command. It’s a perverse twist on the cycle of life. Babies are born and announced in the newspaper. Their life continues, sometimes also noted by the press, and gradually they begin the slide toward death. Somewhere, if they’re lucky, an editor or producer assigns someone to write their obituary, and there it sits, eagerly awaiting the chance to announce its subject’s demise. The media obituary is the final bow, a chronicle of achievement (or infamy) given to those deemed worthy enough to merit one. As evidenced by Alfred Nobel, the subject of an obituary will often take a keen interest in how his or her life will be remembered.”
— Regret the Error: How Media Mistakes Pollute the Press and Imperil Free Speech by Craig Silverman
