The concept to be analyzed comes from Latin, more specifically from obitus, which means death. It is noteworthy that the word death in Portuguese is synonymous with death. The term obituary is used to refer to people who have died over a period of time. This relationship usually appears in the written press.
A news integrated into the obituary section
When we read a newspaper, we want to know the latest news today. In this sense, an informative question of interest consists precisely in knowing about the death of a person recognized in social terms. News about obituaries usually appears in a fixed section, also known as obituaries.
General features
The obituary does not always have the same journalistic focus, as it depends on who the deceased is. In this type of news, the most relevant data about someone’s death are usually detailed (name, age, place of residence, place of birth, cause of death, etc.). In the development of the news, a professional and personal sketch of the death is presented .
When it comes to a very popular character, it is very likely that some information will not appear, as it is not necessary to explain what is already known most of the time. However, when the deceased is someone who is not part of the news, but who was already important in the past, it is necessary to give an explanation about the character in question (many athletes and artists from other eras are forgotten over time and because of from his journalistic obituary his career is remembered).
From a journalistic point of view, this is news that serves to honor someone
In other words, it is a way of publicly saying goodbye to an individual . Sometimes, this type of news is not related to the present, as the obituary can refer to the memory of someone who died years ago, in this way, the deceased receives a new tribute. If the news of death is something already expected because the person is seriously ill, the newspaper can prepare journalistic information with some advance.
The obituary article usually has a complimentary, respectful and kind informative treatment, since it would be in bad taste to write negatively or with controversial information about someone who cannot defend themselves. Even so, this article is usually accompanied by an obituary.
In short , obituaries in newspapers help readers to remember the trajectory of a character recognized by society as a whole .
