The Obits

Obituaries and death notices have been standard features in American newspapers for many years. Historically, obituaries serve as public notifications of death. In reality, they are reflections of the society that produces them. In the United States, there exists a two-tiered system of recognition: death notices for the common person and obituaries for the elite. The author contends that because of the corporatization of American newspapers, death notices have become commodified, and obituaries are reflections of elite, white male, corporate interests.