Amna Nawaz
@PBSNewsHour·5.3M subscribers·62.2K videos
How obituaries humanize the good and bad alike
Posted
August 13, 2026
Views
3,644
Likes
251
Engagement
6.89%
August 13, 2026
3,644
251
6.89%
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1:46Now PlayingWho gets an obituary in The New York Times?
Sam Roberts, who has written some 1,600 obituaries during his career at the Times, says the choices can be "tough calls."
"This is a judgment we make," he told PBS News' Geoff Bennett. "It's subjective. But I think we write about people who have made some sort of contribution to society."
That can include people who have made both positive and negative impacts on the world, Roberts noted.
"The obituary is about human beings with all their flaws, with all their pluses, what makes them who they are," he said.
Roberts is the author of a new book, "Are They Dead Yet?" He spoke with Bennett on the latest episode of the PBS News podcast "Settle In."
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