“In Chicago, Christy Gutowski, who typically writes about
child welfare, criminal and social justice topics for the Tribune, is now the
paper’s lead reporter on its ever-expanding obits team.
“‘I don’t view it as a typical obit with a set template,’
she said. ‘I am writing a life story to ensure history properly remembers
someone’s loved one. They are not a statistic or data point.’
“Gutowski said the obit effort accomplishes three goals:
honor the victim, comfort the victim’s family, and help the public to fully
understand the human toll of this health crisis.
“‘This is an important public
service,’ she said. ‘I feel that I, in a small way, am making a positive
contribution at such a difficult, important time in the world.’”
—Katie Pellico and
Brian Stelter,“Writing
about the dead during a pandemic: ‘They are not a statistic or data point,’”
CNN, April 25, 2020.
• Editorial Comment: This image from the Boston Globe of Sunday, April 19, is of two of the newspaper’s 22 pages of obituaries, including 245 death notices and 179 photos.
Douglas Iris
Check out the May issue of Senior News: “Humboldt
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