The Newsroom

Amy Winehouse dies

(July 2011)

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DV
DVB Cornwall
Brekkie posted:
Seen it mentioned her dad is on a flight to the US and it isn't known if he is aware of it. I thought it was common courtesy in journalism not to release news of a death until the family is informed.

Then again - common courtesy in journalism was probably to intercept the 999 call.


It goes with the territory of Showbiz. You are in the business or have a family member in it, you lose the right to such notification. It'd be impossible to enforce anyway.
JW
JamesWorldNews
Sky suggesting it was a drug overdose. (according to their sources).
JC
JCB
Ant posted:
Blimey... What a weekend of sad news. Horrible.


Indeed. And to think this is supposeded to be "silly season".
WE
Westy2
BBC WORLD posted:
Actually, BBC World News now running a report by David Sillitoe (an obituary essentially). Strange to think that they had already prepared an obit for someone who is so young. The report is clearly not just prepared, but had been pieced together some time ago.


You get the feeling sometimes, that the media ain't stupid, that they'll prepare one 'just in case'.

You wonder how many obits are 'in the can' ready, either due to old age or ill health?

I bet if we thought about it, we could work out who has an obit in the library ready?
BR
Brekkie
I guess though even for people not at deaths door they must have "library footage" readily available to accompany any story.
BA
Badger264
Westy2 posted:
BBC WORLD posted:
Actually, BBC World News now running a report by David Sillitoe (an obituary essentially). Strange to think that they had already prepared an obit for someone who is so young. The report is clearly not just prepared, but had been pieced together some time ago.


You get the feeling sometimes, that the media ain't stupid, that they'll prepare one 'just in case'.

You wonder how many obits are 'in the can' ready, either due to old age or ill health?

I bet if we thought about it, we could work out who has an obit in the library ready?


Sky News accidentally posted their Prince Phillip obituary on the website a few years ago. They probably have one for most of the big public figures who could be on their way out at any time (The Queen, Thatcher etc) and one for celebs who have hit the skids and are of big public interest.
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
Westy2 posted:
BBC WORLD posted:
Actually, BBC World News now running a report by David Sillitoe (an obituary essentially). Strange to think that they had already prepared an obit for someone who is so young. The report is clearly not just prepared, but had been pieced together some time ago.


You get the feeling sometimes, that the media ain't stupid, that they'll prepare one 'just in case'.

You wonder how many obits are 'in the can' ready, either due to old age or ill health?

I bet if we thought about it, we could work out who has an obit in the library ready?


Not exactly Rocket Science though, is it?
Any relatively famous individual will have one pretty much ready to run. The Queen and other senior Royal Members will have one. Current well-known politicians will have one, as will probably previous PM's. Anybody else who is relatively well-known is almost certain to have something ready to go.

Of course, this practice sometimes backfires, after all Norman Wisdom was prounced dead by Sky News two years before he actually did die...
RO
rob Founding member
Neil Jones posted:


Of course, this practice sometimes backfires, after all Norman Wisdom was prounced dead by Sky News two years before he actually did die...


That was Harold Pinter.
JW
JamesWorldNews
Aha, Rob. Yes. You're right. Ginny Buckley was the reader?

Noted all comments above, wrt obits for world leaders, etc. Amy Winehouse was only 27. I guess it wasn't her age that gained her access to the category?
GI
ginnyfan
Westy2 posted:
BBC WORLD posted:
Actually, BBC World News now running a report by David Sillitoe (an obituary essentially). Strange to think that they had already prepared an obit for someone who is so young. The report is clearly not just prepared, but had been pieced together some time ago.


You get the feeling sometimes, that the media ain't stupid, that they'll prepare one 'just in case'.

You wonder how many obits are 'in the can' ready, either due to old age or ill health?

I bet if we thought about it, we could work out who has an obit in the library ready?


It's well known now that Reuters prepared an obituary for Britney Spears back in 2007. News channels probably also had prepared reports just in case...

Very sad for Amy, it was expected, another one joins the 27 club....
BA
Badger264
BBC WORLD posted:
Aha, Rob. Yes. You're right. Ginny Buckley was the reader?

Noted all comments above, wrt obits for world leaders, etc. Amy Winehouse was only 27. I guess it wasn't her age that gained her access to the category?


Shes probably in the same category as Kerry Katona, Britney Spears and the like, anyone whos had a pretty big public downfall and could drop down dead any second.
DA
davidhorman
Is it my imagination, or did David Sillitoe just say that Amy Winehouse in life was "curvaceous" instead of, perhaps, "vivacious"? Because the former seems a little inappropriate.

David

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