Obituaries embrace offbeat, self-written style as paid announcements rise

9 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Apr 28

Examples like Maynard Hirshon's 2021 Tampa Bay Times obituary highlight a trend toward quirky, honest self-written notices, especially in the U.S.
Shrinking newsroom staffs and the shift to paid obituaries have enabled more personalized, humorous, and candid tributes, according to experts like Kristen Hare of the Poynter Institute.
Funeral homes and online platforms such as Legacy.com now allow families to bypass newspapers, further fueling the popularity and accessibility of unconventional obituary formats.

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