E-mail Topic: The High Cost of Dying
A reader says: "Just curious what your readers think about the local paper charging $20 to run survivors and funeral details on obituaries. (information can be verified at www.gilesnews.us)"
posted by J. Kendrick McPeters | 12:31 AM
34 Comments:
I think this is not being very respectful to the dead. There is not a lot in the paper anymore. This could cost them a lot in subscriptions. I may not renew mine.
I too think it will cost subscriptions. I don't subscribe I will not. This is another case of the rich getting richer. They need competition in the worse way. They report what they want to report & what they are told they can report.
If this is going to be a thread about the local news media, then make it a thread about the local news media. Don't disguise it by calling it "The High Cost of Dying."
By the way, I am not happy with the monopoly either, and I think the community should do something about it.
I believe that I am correct that all newspapers charge to publish such information. From the New York Times to the Giles County Citizen.
If anyone knows of a paper that does not charge please let us know.
The trend is indeed toward charging for more and more previously free "services"
and "news items" in newspapers but the trend also is in a continual spiral downward in subscriptions. It seems people are tired of being fed left wing propaganda and sweet tasting pablum from those who seek to cover-up and ignore the real truths.
This is not what made Giles the friendly county it is today. We will lose some of the bonding of the people.
So what CAN one put in the paper without being charged or having to get sponsors to foot the bill?
How can Pulaski be compared to New York? GET REAL.
1-8-7 55654
you must be kidding - ask your dog!
I WOULD SUGGEST THAT ALL THE FUNERAL HOMES GET TOGETHER AND START THEIR OWN WEB SITE TO POST OBITS AND OTHER PERTINENT INFORMATION
...yes..like the real estate folks did....
Sounds like a ploy by the POOR Lake family to make $20 every time someone dies in giles county.They need all the money they can get to support their media monopoly is my guess.Why would the citizens of giles county support a family that controls all of the news in the county.newspaper,radio,internet???????????????
This blog is the only public means of having issues discussed and exposed without any "objectionable news" censureship. Almost every entry on this blog is a blow against the tight corrupt controls on this county.
anonymous of 1/9/07 2;45 31 DID YOU READ THE POST OF ANONYMOUS ON 1/8/07 8;13;57 A.M.
anony of 1-11-7 60229 msg for anony 1-9-07 24531 about anony 1-8-7 81357 -- yep. Paying for the paper is ok - I do it. Q was what else can you do with it - endless things including what fido does when the urge overwhelms him & no one is there to let him out. over & out 1-11-7 70somethimg
I'm dying to hear how the master of cerimoneys at the publick learnin institoot came out with the auditaters? Hear he was way under budget & saved a bunch of money??? That out to stomp down his anymees!
It was very interesting to note Steve Lakes' comments about the "almighty dollar" at the Citizen of the Year banquet right on the heels of his paper beginning to charge for publishing obituaries. I will NOT spend another penny to purchase his newspaper and will NOT waste a minute to read his on line news.
Tight and corrupt controls? Please explain. Would you happen to be one of those few who are continually trying to stir up trouble in the name of concern for the people of Giles County? Can't you find ANYONE in government here who meets YOUR standards? Are all county officials the crooks you people accuse them of being? I seriously doubt it.
the obituaries is about the only thing to read in the paper anymore anyways. it's so thick when it comes out, nothing in it. it costs alot to die, also costs to make a paper. if you don't wanna pay to have it posted then don't. can just ride by and see it on the sign on hwy 31 south. most of the time when someone dies by the time it gets put in the paper they are already buried anyways, so then it's to late.
Check with your life insurance carrier. I know that Lakestein Life and Casualty offer an "Obit" policy. I believe the premium is only $22.00 a year. I'm sure if you work for the county you are already covered with a policy like this one.
You folks go on resenting and hating the rich..and while your at it...vote for hillary rodham clinton next presidential election. You may recall that she is one of the cheerleaders for the hate-the-wealthy thing.
I'm all for her-she'll get my vote. People do not resent others for having money they resent them for the way they treat others once they get the money-big difference!
Everyone I've heard mention local papers lately say they're through buying them or reading them. Nothing but recipes and ads. No pictures of local folks (hear you have to pay to run those too). No news almost whatsoever. No sports photos so Aunt Sue and Grandma Jane can buy papers to clip photos. They're so thin now that even Fido is looking for an alternative.
This isn't a matter of hating the rich (feb 3), its a matter of how the money is obtained. Running funeral details and surviving family members is news here. If families want a picture and ten inches of ink on every accomplisment, award, and organization the individual was connected with I could understand the fee. But including local surviving relatives along with date/time and place of funeral is expected. There are already two sources of revenue for the paper - selling ads and charging for the paper. When I buy a subscription or individual paper its because I want to read news, and that includes details of the funeral.
Those presses can print more than just papers. How about Giles County gift wrap or shopping bags. Lay out a sheet of newprint and you'll see its a decent size to wrap up something. The logo would show we're proud to shop or live here. They could be themed by substituting a heart or christmas tree instead of the "A" in Pulaski. I'm sure the Chamber would get behind this one. Its non-traditional revenue for a company rather than relying on the same old money streams.
Maybe the paper could initiate recycling among its subscribers. Readers could get a discount on their next subscription, the company could sell the old papers to a recycling outfit and make enough so they don't have to charge for running obits with funeral details.
Its easy to say "we'll charge more for this" or "let's charge for individual sections now even though readers have already paid for it once". Its a lot harder to ask "what can we do to make more money while still being a cosiderate member of the business community and retaining our customer base?"
BTW -
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the paper so they can print the obit.
Does it seem strange the "newspaper" is charging for obits at the same time they refuse to sale ads to certain legitimate business people becuase they don't want the competetion.
Check with other papers in surrounding areas. They charge for anything other than name and date and place of funeral. No survivors or anything else. The Lakes are not the first to charge.
No one claimed they were first. The paper noted in its clarification that 25 percent of newspapers in the state charge for the service. In math terms that means 75 percent don't.
Kudos to the MAJORITY in publishing who do what's right for their particular community. Again -when you buy a paper you expect to read--news! In small communities OBTIS ARE NEWS. If you haven't been here a year year then, no, you probably don't care. The longer you stay, the more people you work with, get to know, friends you make, kids you teach, and people you touch. You want to send flowers or a card to someone if one of their relatives has passed, - but how can you do that if you don't even know they're related to someone or when the funeral is? Thankfully we have emails, bloggers, churches, coworkers and other networks of sources from which to obtain our news.
Honestly, if I can't trust a paper to give me complete coverage on the death of neighbor, should I expect complete coverage on a government meeting or a piece of legislation. Maybe you were taught -everybody else is doing it - but we were taught to be good citizens, play fair and share, honest day's pay for an honest day's work and love thy neighbor.
I like to see the complete orbits because it is possible that I might know some of the survivors. The paper may be pricing themselves out of business. How much do you think the realestate charging change cost them. We need a paper, one that has small town interest at heart.
Fact. The paper staff lurkes here to see what is being said about them.
Fact. Area newspapers do not all charge for obituaries. Most do not. Fact. They don't all charge for wedding announcements. Most do not. Fact. They don't all charge for running ball team photos. Most do not. Fact. They SURELY don't charge the same rates to run anything that the Lake media does. Fact. Fact. Fact!!!
Fact. The people of Giles County are tired of spending fifty cents and getting not even enough paper to feel it in their hands.
Fact. If Pulaski Publishing keeps on, they will need to be seeking out another small town to monopolize and take advantage of because we are tired of NO NEWS and excuses for charging folks to breathe. FACT!
People, you can complain all you like about how greedy the Lakes are, but I'm here to tell you they are not. Why just this past Tuesday when I tried to place an ad they were too busy to take my money and place my ad. After numerous attempts to pay in advance for my ad with cash I was assured it would be taken care of, and boy was it. I was contacted about two hrs later and told they could not print my ad. I figured it had to be one of three reasons, 1 it was because I was white, 2 because my ad had the word REBEL in it, or 3 CENSORSHIP. I figured there was no way it could possibly be CENSORSHIP, why with all of the U.S. soldiers fighting and dying in a foreign country so those people can have freedom of speech and live like we do. So , I asked "Why can you not publish my ad?" The only reply I was offered was "My superior (not boss or supervisor but SUPERIOR) told me we can not publish your ad!". So naturally I asked "Who is your superior?" and she replied "Steve Lake" and when I responded with "Steve Lake told you not to print my ad?" she told me to "have a blessed day" and hug up. I am sorry that I am not very familar with Steve Lake so I went to the old trusty dictionary and looked up Superior Lake and this is what I came up with "LARGEST OF THE GREAT LAKES" so I knew this had to be the one. So, after a couple of voices mails and a request for their criteria for placing an ad with no response I figured I would post his response here. Wait a minute, he has'nt responded yet, Sorry!
Oh and if you are wondering what my perverted disgusting ad said this is it. "LISTEN TO TODAY'S SCHOOL BOARD MEETING ON GilesRebel.com" Pretty nasty huh?
Why do you people who are on here complaining about the newspaper still subscribe. Several have stated that they may stop, well do it!! I don't subscribe and never will. Why pay money for something that is not worth it. DUH!!!
Did not mean to renew the last time but, got mixed in with other bills and got paid by mistake. Should have thrown in garbage as soon as we got it.
But we would miss all the gems of wisdom(Letters to the Editor)from the enlightened ones if we didn't get the paper.
You went to the dictionary to look up "Superior Lake"? You're such a comedian.
That is EXACTLY the same sarcastic and know-it-all attitude of WAB. Yes, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. What an embarrassment this must be to your family.
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