After all of the hoopla that surrounded the leaks about Britney Spears’ and Steve Jobs’ obituaries, both of whom are still alive at the moment, I realized how creepy it must sound that newspapers keep obituary files on notable people.
But, it’s a practical thing. If someone of interest dies, that moment is not the time to start gathering information. People rarely die according to deadline and imagine the outcry if the Austin American-Statesman hadn’t had an obituary ready when Lady Bird Johnson died.
The Miami Herald is taking obituary planning to another level, apparently, when it comes to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
Miami Herald senior editor Manny Garcia called Fidel Castro “a constant pain who never seems to go away, and you pray that he passes soon.” Here’s a link to the article this quote came from where he wrote about the Herald’s anticipation of the sickly leader’s demise.
Former Miami Herald editor Tom Fielder said that preparations at the Herald for Castro’s death are, “maybe more detailed than the Pentagon’s plan to invade Iraq.”
via Romanesko
