(Over) charging for obits

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

Guys,
While this is journalistically related, I'll be honest, it's for personal purposes.
My wife had a family member pass away a couple days ago, and the funeral home handling her services told the family an obit in the Dallas Morning News now cost $1,500.
The family already paid for it, and since I don't know anyone at the DMN anymore, I figured I'd just bring that one here.
I've never heard of a shop charging anywhere near this, and I know a lot of papers still charge nothing at all.
Is this normal?

 

[SportsDude]

My small-time daily rag charges $7 per column inch. And I thought that was expensive.

 

[doctor x]

Our small shop started charging in the mid-1990s. Until then, there were restrictions on what could be included (survivors limited to immediate family, etc.). Now that the funeral home (family) is paying, there's no end to the shlock that can be included. And while it is basically paid advertisting, it is considered "editorial content" and severely cuts into our newshole some days.

Needless to say, our rate is not comparable to that of the DMN.

 

[MU_was_not_so_hard]

I was just told the Fort Worth Startlegram they ran was quoted at 1/5th of the price of the DMN for the same Obit.

 

[93Devil]

I was at a funeral today where the woman who passed away had possibly the shortest obit I have ever seen.

I found out they were being charged $3 per line, and they just did not have the money for it.

Sad.

 

[hockeybeat]

Guys,
While this is journalistically related, I'll be honest, it's for personal purposes.
My wife had a family member pass away a couple days ago, and the funeral home handling her services told the family an obit in the Dallas Morning News now cost $1,500.
The family already paid for it, and since I don't know anyone at the DMN anymore, I figured I'd just bring that one here.
I've never heard of a shop charging anywhere near this, and I know a lot of papers still charge nothing at all.
Is this normal?

MU, my deepest sympathies.

After a family member of mine passed away, the funeral home paid for the obit as part of its burial package deal.

 

[Jersey_Guy]

There is no "overcharging" for obits. Obits are mostly a product. The product charges what the market will bear.

If it were up to me, there would be no free obits unless you're a public figure. Seriously. There are no free Fords or groceries or PS3s. We're a product, folks, now more than ever.

Don't like the price? Don't pay. So simple.

 

[pressmurphy]

I believe my former shop, with a Sunday circ of about 200K, is up to around $9.50 a line. Typical obit is 25-30 lines.

 

[Shaggy]

Our obits are free.

 

[fishwrapper]

We're talking about two different things here, right. Obituaries and death notices, right?
They're not the same.
Obits are a journalistic endeavour, and there shouldn't ever be a fee involved.

 

[sportschick]

Anymore, death notices are free and obits are not, least at my last 3-4 shops.

 

[JoelHammond]

MU, sorry to hear that; tell the Mrs. I said so.

Having said that, I'd double-check that. That sounds CRAZY high, right?

 

[93Devil]

An obit is news.

Pure and simple.

There should be no charge, especially in a smaller paper.

I can see the NYPost charging, but a 50,000 circulation?

 

[sportschick]

A death notice is news. If you want all that falderall added in you can pay, at 10K, at a 15K, at a 30K, at a 50K or at a bigger paper. It's a big source of revenue for papers, whether you like it or not 93.

And MU, I'd take Joel's advice and have that cost double checked. It strikes me as odd that the DMN is charging that much more than Fort Worth. A little bit sure, but like 5 times as much? Eyebrow raising to be sure.

 

[93Devil]

A death notice is news. If you want all that falderall added in you can pay, at 10K, at a 15K, at a 30K, at a 50K or at a bigger paper. It's a big source of revenue for papers, whether you like it or not 93.

And MU, I'd take Joel's advice and have that cost double checked. It strikes me as odd that the DMN is charging that much more than Fort Worth. A little bit sure, but like 5 times as much? Eyebrow raising to be sure.

I'm not talking an 18-inch opus, but the first five inches should be on the house.

Give the immediate relatives, 1-2 quick facts and where you can see them. I think five, maybe six inches should cover it.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

People die every day. That's news? [/O.J.]

 

[imjustagirl]

A death notice is news. If you want all that falderall added in you can pay, at 10K, at a 15K, at a 30K, at a 50K or at a bigger paper. It's a big source of revenue for papers, whether you like it or not 93.

And MU, I'd take Joel's advice and have that cost double checked. It strikes me as odd that the DMN is charging that much more than Fort Worth. A little bit sure, but like 5 times as much? Eyebrow raising to be sure.

I'm not talking an 18-inch opus, but the first five inches should be on the house.

Give the immediate relatives, 1-2 quick facts and where you can see them. I think five, maybe six inches should cover it.

I think our basic obits, the unpaid ones, are right around that. Maybe not. The paid ones are the 15-inchers that run with the big photo and that are worded like "Betty Sue Bigguns finally flew home to see her Father, the Lord, on the merciful day of Sunday, April 27..."

 

[Diabeetus]

I'm at a shop much smaller, but ours are free.

 

[BYH]

A death notice is news. If you want all that falderall added in you can pay, at 10K, at a 15K, at a 30K, at a 50K or at a bigger paper. It's a big source of revenue for papers, whether you like it or not 93.

And MU, I'd take Joel's advice and have that cost double checked. It strikes me as odd that the DMN is charging that much more than Fort Worth. A little bit sure, but like 5 times as much? Eyebrow raising to be sure.

I'm not talking an 18-inch opus, but the first five inches should be on the house.

Give the immediate relatives, 1-2 quick facts and where you can see them. I think five, maybe six inches should cover it.

I think our basic obits, the unpaid ones, are right around that. Maybe not. The paid ones are the 15-inchers that run with the big photo and that are worded like "Betty Sue Bigguns finally flew home to see her Father, the Lord, on the merciful day of Sunday, April 27..."

Wait a minute, your paper produces obits BEFORE the person dies?

you SHOULD charge for that. That's a talent. And let Betty Sue know, too.

 

[In Cold Blood]

At our shop, we have free death notices - probably four-five graphs with the bare essentials.

The paid obituaries start at $100 bucks and go up in price the longer they get. We've had some really long ones, with big photos, and I've never heard the Obit lady quote a price over $300. 1500 sounds outrageous.