Complete Story
12/11/2014
Could obits be a billion dollar industry for newspapers?
Having already lost billions in classifieds, newspaper publishers are ramping up digital efforts to secure their share of the burgeoning online obituary business.
Newspapers owned by big groups from Gannett and The E.W. Scripps Company on down are adopting self-service platforms — Legacy.com, Adpay and Wave2 Media Solutions are among the big providers — that allow funeral directors to place obits online and are reporting rising revenue.
Industry insiders say the platforms are designed to reduce the rigmarole and uncertainly that comes with the traditional process of placing obits over the phone.
