CNN Posts "Still Living" Celebrity Obituaries

The Smoking Gun ^ | 4/16/2003 | The Smoking Gun

[hawkeye101]

APRIL 16--While all news organizations prepare obituaries in advance of the deaths of famous individuals, the folks at CNN inadvertently gave the Internet-surfing public a chance to preview how the network's web site would note the demise of Vice President Dick Cheney, Ronald Reagan, and a few other prominent figures. Until earlier this afternoon, a CNN server housed mock-ups of web pages announcing the yet-to-happen deaths. The CNN pages, which were discovered by the intrepid folks at fark.com, were yanked about 20 minutes after being exposed (though TSG was able to grab a few of the pages for posterity's sake). The premature obituaries, housed in a publicly accessible area of the CNN server and searchable via Google, were apparently the work of Peter Rentz, a senior multimedia designer at CNN. The mock-ups are virtually identical to the obituary design currently used by CNN when a notable person dies (click here to see how CNN covered the Queen Mother's March 2002 death). In fact, elements of the Queen Mum's obit template can be seen in the below Cheney design. In addition to Cheney and Reagan, CNN also prepped online farewells to Fidel Castro, Bob Hope, Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela, and Gerald Ford.

[hawkeye101]

For as little time as it would take to create a web page obit, why would they even create these before hand and take the chance of getting caught?

[aristeides]

In addition to Cheney and Reagan, CNN also prepped online farewells to Fidel Castro, Bob Hope, Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela, and Gerald Ford.

Four Republicans, at least one Communist, another leftist often accused of being a Communist, and a pope generally thought conservative. But no Democrats. Wishful thinking, CNN?

[Jalapeno]

That downward spiral just continues for CNN.

[ClancyJ]

Actually, I have heard all large news organizations write these and save in files for future use.

[billorites]

Poor Bob Hope.

First, a Congressman announces his death on the House floor a couple years ago. Now, CNN posts his obit.

You think he'll take the hint?

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

premature

[CyberAnt]

It's not a matter of getting caught - I hate to burst your bubble, but ALLLLLL media outlets do prior obit writing; especially for famous people who are aging, like Ronald Reagan, etc. It's nothing new and it's not morbid. It's just a way for the media to be prepared - in case. If your paper is ready to go to print, and there is a sudden death, there is no time to write a factual obit. If you have one ready, you can pop it into your front page and be one of the first off the press line.

[Jalapeno]

Everyone knows about obits being prepared ahead of time, but it is quite bad form to have them publically accessible before the event.

CNN has had quite a few embarrassments and worse as of late, this just adds to the pot.

[Senator Goldwater]

CNN's having a tough Holy Week.

[Copernicus]

The old Mary Tyler Moore Show did an entire episode about this: Chuckles the Clown.

Yes, she is a flaming liberal, but it is still a funny episode and it is, of course, somewhat irreverent.

Best regards,