What You Need to Know About Submitting an Obituary to the Salem Evening News
Picking up the paper on a Tuesday morning is when I usually see them—the obituary section is spread across four or five pages depending on the week. If you're trying to submit something for a family member or a friend, it's straightforward enough, but there are a few things that aren't obvious until you've dealt with it once or twice. Let me walk through how it actually works. The Salem Evening News runs obituaries that tend to focus on local residents, which means they'll verify residency before running a longer piece. That verification step is why the process takes a couple of business days minimum. If someone passes away and you want the notice out within 48 hours, you're pushing against the natural timeline of the newsroom. Here's how the submission process works. You can submit online through the Salem Evening News website, but I've found the phone line gives you better results if the situation is time-sensitive. The online form is fine for standard submissions, but if you need to work around a specific layout issue or add something unusual, calling directly cuts through a lot of the back-and-forth.
The standard obituary runs about 200 to 300 words for the basic fee, which currently sits around $150 to $200 depending on whether you're including a photograph. A photo runs an additional $50 to $75. Longer pieces or featured layouts cost more. These prices shift occasionally, so it's worth confirming the current rates when you call.
What Goes Into a Standard Submission
You'll need the full legal name, date of birth, date of death, and a brief biographical sketch. Most families include surviving family members, employment history, and where the service will be held. The editor may edit for length or clarity, which is standard practice. If you have something specific you want included verbatim, mention that upfront when you submit. I've noticed that people often forget to include the exact spelling of names for surviving relatives. I worked on a submission once where the deceased's sister's name was misspelled, and correcting it after publication required running an erratum the following day, which cost extra and caused unnecessary stress for an already difficult week. Double-check every name before you hit submit.
Get the Full Details
How Long It Takes and When You'll See It
Submissions received before 2 p.m. on a business day typically run the next business day. Weekend submissions wait until Monday or Tuesday. If someone passes away on a Friday evening, you're looking at a Monday or Tuesday publication, not Saturday or Sunday. The paper doesn't publish on Sundays, so factor that in if timing matters to you. There's also a digital version that appears on the Salem Evening News website, usually within a few hours of the print version going to press. Some families opt to share the digital link directly instead of waiting for the physical paper, which arrives on newsstands the morning of publication.
A Problem I Encountered and How I Fixed It
Last year, I was helping a client submit an obituary for their father who had recently passed. We used the online form, selected a thumbnail photo, and paid the fee. Everything seemed fine. Two days later, the photo came through grainy and pixelated—way too small for the layout. The system had accepted a 72 DPI image that was only 1200 pixels wide, which the printer needed at least 300 DPI at the intended print size. The workaround was to contact the obituary desk directly, explain the situation, and send a high-resolution JPEG via email. They replaced the printed version the following day at no additional charge for the re-run since it was a technical error on our end. Lesson learned: always send a high-resolution image file (at least 300 DPI, ideally 2000 pixels on the longest side) directly to the editor rather than relying on the upload compression built into the form.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Pricing confusion. Some people think the base fee covers everything. It doesn't. Photos, longer word counts, and display placements all add up quickly. If budget is a concern, keep the text tight and stick to one modest photo. The emotional weight of an obituary doesn't come from word count. Assuming the newspaper writes it for you. The Salem Evening News obituary staff will format and edit what you provide, but they won't write the piece from scratch unless you pay for their writing service, which is an extra cost. If you want something meaningful written, draft it yourself before submitting, even if it's rough. The editors appreciate having a solid foundation to work from. Missing the residency requirement. The paper prioritizes Salem residents. If the deceased lived outside the immediate area, you may need to provide proof of connection—a former address, a school they attended, or a workplace they were associated with. Having documentation ready speeds things up considerably.
Alternatives If the Timeline Doesn't Work for You
If you need immediate publication and can't wait for the print cycle, consider posting the obituary on the family's social media or a memorial website first, then following up with the newspaper once the timing works. Some families also choose to run the notice in the online-only sections, which sometimes have faster turnaround than the print edition. I've seen the online-only route get published within 24 hours, compared to the two-to-three-day print cycle. Another option is the county funeral home's online memorial page, which often publishes immediately and can be linked from the newspaper notice later if you decide to go that route. It's not a replacement for the print obituary, but it fills the gap when speed matters more than prestige. The bottom line is that the Salem Evening News obituaries are a reliable way to honor someone locally, but the process has real constraints around timing, image quality, and content that you need to plan for in advance. Getting it right the first time saves everyone involved from an awkward follow-up correction.
