Study shows that paid obits bring in little income but are nearly universal

Hannah Artman is a post-doctoral research fellow in local news at the Missouri School of Journalism. Nick Mathews is an assistant professor at the Missouri School of Journalism who specializes in local news and the economics of journalism. 

Charging to publish obituaries is nearly universal among weekly newspapers in the United States, and newsroom leaders say the practice is justified because it brings in needed revenue. But our new study in this largely unexamined corner of journalism finds that, for most news organizations, obituaries contribute only marginally to overall income, remaining a minor source rather than a major financial cornerstone.

It has long been recognized that newspaper obituaries hold value for communities, documenting lives and preserving local history. Their significance is rarely debated. Their value to the business of news and in sustaining local newsrooms is far less understood. To explore this, we surveyed 135 weekly newsroom leaders — owners, publishers and editors — from across the country to take stock of the current state of obituary practices in local news. While this study represents only a fraction of the roughly 4,500 weekly newspapers nationwide, it provides a glimpse into both practices and the perspectives of newsroom leaders.

Of the publications surveyed, 88% charge a fee for publishing obituaries, and 64% of newsroom leaders say it is appropriate to do so because they provide needed revenue for the newspaper. Yet in 80% of the newsrooms surveyed, that revenue accounts for less than 5% of total income. While that may not be insignificant for weekly newspapers, which often operate on a razor-thin margin, it is far from a windfall.

Overall, our research found there is no widespread best practice for publishing obituaries in community newspapers. Still, weekly newspapers appear committed to providing this service as a public good, prioritizing their community role over revenue.

“We keep the fee low,” one newsroom leader wrote in response to a series of open-ended questions. “We make no profit from obituaries, but their inclusion is important to our model.”

Eighty-nine percent of newsroom leaders agree or strongly agree that obituaries serve as an essential connection to the community, and 73% say obituaries are a key reason readers subscribe to or purchase their newspaper. Also, 78% of newsroom leaders agree or strongly agree that obituaries in their newspaper represent their community appropriately.

“Obituaries are part of our community’s history, and the newspaper is the documentarian of that history.”

“Obituaries are part of our community’s history,” as one newsroom leader wrote, “and the newspaper is the documentarian of that history.”

Our research sought to determine whether newsroom leaders considered obituaries an economic necessity or a public service to their communities.

Only 32% of the respondents agree or agree strongly that obituaries should be free as a public service to the community, and 39% of the respondents said they personally would prefer obituaries were free to the public. Also, more than half (53%) said that the cost of obituaries can be a barrier for families.

When it comes to the pricing process, nearly half of surveyed news organizations charge either per word (26%) or a flat fee (23%). Others use a tiered payment system based on different variables, and some charge by column inch and use of photographs.

One newsroom leader highlighted the free nature of their obituaries, writing in their print edition, “We believe obituaries are an important aspect of a community newspaper and do not want to limit them by charging.” Another newsroom leader was sharply critical of charging for obituaries at all, arguing that it contributes to larger problems. “I’m embarrassed that other newspapers charge an arm and a leg for what should be an essential service. Practices like theirs are helping to kill off the relevance of newspapers in their communities.”

Weekly newspaper leaders also emphasized the value of their own organizations’ obituary services, especially compared to higher-priced obituaries at regional news organizations.

“Our paper charges a fraction of what the daily newspaper in our area does,” one leader wrote, with another noting that larger publications “really take advantage of the situation.”

It is important to note that 82% of weekly newspapers said they offer obituaries or death notices for free under certain circumstances. These death notices typically include only the most basic information — the person’s name, date of birth and death, location and date of services and, often, a small photo.

“We are specifically a community newspaper, so we try to get as many people included as possible in our free death notice section,” one leader said. “I view our paid obituaries as a service for families to share more about their loved ones than we would in our death notices. (Obituaries are) a key component of what a newspaper can offer a community.”

Other notable findings from the survey include:

• 20% of obituaries submitted to weekly newsrooms were from family members, and 11% of respondents reported that their newsrooms use a third-party service provider — such as Legacy.com or Obituaries.com — to facilitate writing or publishing obituaries.
• 53% of respondents said the number of obituaries submitted has remained steady in recent years, with 26% reporting the volume has decreased or decreased significantly. “(Obituaries are) important but not as much as (they) used to be,” one leader wrote. “Facebook has taken over for letting friends and families know their loved one has passed.”
• 26% of news organizations reported they shared obituaries on social media.
• 37% of newsroom leaders said they care about the online analytics for obituaries, with leaders noting that the obituaries link on a navigation bar remains incredibly popular. As one leader wrote, “ever since internet analytics became available, obituaries have always ranked in the top three of our traffic.”
• 6% of newsrooms reported having a dedicated email newsletter for obituaries, which some larger news organizations use as a revenue source.
• 33% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that obituary pricing is easy to find on the newspaper’s website, and 23% said it is easy to locate in the print edition. Overall, newsroom leaders recognize that readers often lack awareness of obituary costs.

What remains to be explored in this study? We plan to conduct interviews with newsroom leaders to better understand their business decision-making processes and the reasoning behind their choices.

The written word remains one of the most powerful and universal ways to commemorate our loved ones. As long as newspapers can continue serving local communities, this commitment is likely to endure. As one leader noted, “People wake up to check the obituaries to make sure their name isn’t listed!”

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Cite this article

Artman, Hannah; and Mathews, Nick  (2026, Jan. 20). Inside the business of obituaries in weekly newspapers. Reynolds Journalism Institute. Retrieved from: https://rjionline.org/news/inside-the-business-of-obituaries-in-weekly-newspapers/