What is the Difference Between a Death Notice and an Obituary?

You have likely seen a formal announcement of a death in the newspaper, but did you know there are two types? There’s a possibility that what you thought was an obituary was, in fact, a death notice. A death notice and an obituary are forms of death announcements commonly mixed up or used interchangeably when they mean two different things and vary in many ways. It’s important to be able to distinguish between the two in order to communicate the death with friends and family and to decide which is better suited to honor your loved one.

Distinguishing Between the Two
A death notice is brief announcement of a death. Being just a few lines in length, a death notice excludes most biographical details about the deceased. This type of announcement is the most common way to inform the community of an individual’s passing.

An obituary is a more detailed announcement. It is a “snapshot” of a person’s life. It includes the biographical information that a death notice leaves out, and, like a death notice, may also include the information regarding the funeral or memorial service.

Contents of Each
A death notice is very short. It contains only the details necessary in announcing the death (name, age, and date of death) and the details regarding funeral arrangements or a memorial service (date, location, and how to make donations).

An obituary is longer than a death notice, usually several paragraphs, due to all of the information it contains. It includes biographical information about the life of the deceased. It may include hobbies, major life events or accomplishments, and names of family members.

Writing
A death notice is usually written by the funeral home, often with the help of the surviving relatives, and is then submitted to the newspaper or other publications of the family’s choosing.

An obituary is written by the family of the deceased or by a member of the news publication’s staff. Sometimes, the news publication may want to write an obituary for an individual whose life and accomplishments are newsworthy or interesting (such as celebrities or community leaders).

Places to Post a Death Notice or Obituary
There are many different outlets for posting a death notice or obituary.

Print newspapers have long been the traditional outlets to place a death announcement. Often times they are placed in several different newspapers, such as in the deceased’s hometown, in one where he/she was living before death, or in one where they spent a lot of time, like a vacation or travel destination.

An online newspaper is another outlet to place a death announcement. Most print newspapers will automatically post an online version of the print version to their website if it was paid for. Others may only publish the death notice or obituary online. Check with the publication beforehand to clarify what your options are.

Obituary websites are growing in number and popularity, and serve as another outlet for death announcements. These websites specialize in obituaries and death tributes, and some offer additional services like online guest books and photo tributes.

Publishing Process
There are a few ways to get a formal death announcement published.

You can contact the news source yourself, but death notices and obituaries not placed by funeral homes require verification of death or a copy of the death certificate. It can take some time to obtain this documentation, delaying when the announcement is published.

Another way to have the announcement published is by going through a funeral home. Funeral homes typically charge a fee to do this, but because they do this often, they know whom to contact and can take care of the steps for submission, thus this way is recommended.

Cost
There is often a fee for publication, which varies by the type of announcement and the length, publication, and geographic area.

A death notice is similar to placing an advertisement in a publication. There is often a fee and a limited number of lines allowed, so it tends to be short. The cost to have a death notice published is determined by the length (usually by the number of words or how many lines are written) and there may be an additional charge for a picture.

Obituaries are more commonly published for free as they are viewed as stories. Family or friends of the deceased can propose that an obituary be written and the news staff may choose to share that person’s tribute if they believe it would be an interesting asset to the publication. The newspaper will feature the obituaries that they find interesting or remarkable. An obituary can also be paid for to guarantee publication in some outlets, but not all. Similar to a death notice, obituaries vary in price depending on the length. There may also be additional charges for photos.

The cost of having a death notice or an obituary published will vary. It’s best to check with the local newspaper or publications you are considering to see what options are available to you.

Things to Be Aware of
Be aware of pricing differences in the type of announcement and for different publications. Most charge by length, but ask beforehand to be sure you know what you’re paying for.

When submitting the announcement for publication, most of the time it will be edited for spelling and grammar by an editor, but this is something to ask about as well. Before the death notice or obituary is posted, ask if you can take a look at it to make sure the information is correct and that it honors the life of the deceased properly.

Finally, make sure you are aware of deadlines. There is usually a timeframe in which the newspaper or website will post the death announcement (typically within a month of death). There are also deadlines to meet if you want the announcement published the following day.

Choosing Between a Death Notice and Obituary
Death notices and obituaries serve different purposes. A death notice simply informs the public of the death and announces the details surrounding the funeral or memorial service. An obituary serves as a tribute to the life of the deceased by sharing his or her accomplishments with the public. Because final arrangements are a deeply personal decision, the type of announcement you choose is completely up to you.

Consult our Planning Center for more Funeral & Memorial Resources.

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