When Joseph A. Sciacca Sr. died at the age of 82 on August 23rd, the Boston Herald promptly noted his passing.
Understandable, given that Joseph A. Sciacca Sr. was the father of Boston Herald editor in chief Joe Sciacca Jr.
Now, two weeks later, the Boston Globe has published an obituary of the senior Sciacca.
Understandable?
The hardworking staff is not trying to make any particular point.
Just sayin’.
If Joe Sciacca, himself, had passed away, then a prompt piece in the Globe would have been proper. Having the father of someone prominent in newspaper circles die, doesn’t fit my concept of necessary for a large obituary. The paper of his hometown is sufficient. Count me as cynical, I don’t even think the page of “entertaining obituaries”, for people with no connection to the area, should be printed. These appear on the last page of the deaths section. Are you sure that you aren’t responding on a personal level, to someone you may know through the business?
I don’t have a problem that it ran or how it ran, cj. My point was when it ran.
Would that have applied to anyone, or is the fact that he was the father of a prominent newspaper competitor significant? Also, I have seen several examples in the past where obituaries were run weeks after the death. These were usually people of some note. How is the decision made to run obituaries? Is it driven by the family, or editorial staff for some reason?
Those are all good questions, cj. It’s not that the obit ran two weeks later – that happens a fair amount. It’s the crosstown rivalry aspect that makes me wonder if there’s a story behind this. Not a scandal, not some sinister conspiracy – just a story.
Wow. There’s definitely a resemblance between Sr. and Jr.
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