Understanding Obituary Placement in the Deseret News
Working with Salt Lake City Obituaries Deseret News Tributes Honoring Lives And Preserving Legacies requires understanding how local newspapers handle these submissions differently than other markets. The process involves several steps that aren't always intuitive, and getting them right matters for families already dealing with difficult circumstances. The Deseret News maintains specific requirements for obituary content, pricing structures, and publication timelines that differ from national newspaper standards. I learned this the hard way after submitting a tribute that got returned for formatting issues—something that could have been avoided with better preparation.
Standard Submission Guidelines
Content requirements: Families typically need to provide full name, age, residence, date of death, and a brief biography. The Deseret News accepts text submissions that can range from 100 to 1,000 words depending on the package selected. Photos are allowed but must meet specific resolution requirements—at least 300 DPI in JPEG format works reliably. Pricing tiers: A standard obituary runs approximately $150 to $250 for a single page placement. Extended tributes with longer biographies and multiple photographs can cost $400 to $600. These prices change periodically, so calling the obituary desk at (801) 748-1515 before finalizing your submission is advisable. The desk hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM Mountain Time. Publication timeline: Submissions received before 2 PM Mountain Time on business days typically appear the following morning. Weekend submissions process on the next business day. Emergency placements the same day are available but cost an additional $100 to $150 fee—useful when death occurs late in the evening and families want immediate acknowledgment.
I once handled a situation where a family submitted an obituary with incomplete information because they assumed certain details were optional. The newspaper held the submission for verification, delaying publication by two days. Always double-check dates, names, and surviving family member listings before hitting submit.
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Common Pitfalls and Technical Details
The Deseret News obituary process has several nuances that trip up inexperienced submitters. Understanding these prevents delays, additional charges, and unnecessary frustration during an already stressful time. Spelling and grammar checks: Newspapers generally don't provide copyediting services for obituaries. If your submission contains misspelled names or incorrect dates, those errors appear in print. I've seen correction notices run the next day at full price, which costs families an additional $50 to $100 they don't need to spend. Have someone read the tribute aloud before submission—reading catches errors that silent reading misses. Survivor listing order: The Deseret News follows traditional ordering: surviving spouse first, then children in age order, followed by parents, siblings, and grandchildren. Rearranging this order isn't prohibited, but it can confuse readers accustomed to standard format. When families deviate from this structure, I recommend including a brief note explaining the arrangement to prevent confusion.
Photo specifications: Many submitters upload images directly from smartphones, which creates pixelation when printed at newspaper resolution. The Deseret News recommends photos no smaller than 1000 pixels wide. If you're scanning physical photographs, use at least 300 DPI and save as JPEG files. TIFF files are accepted but sometimes cause processing delays because they require additional conversion steps. A specific edge case I encountered involved a family submitting an obituary with a religious symbol image that appeared pixelated in print. The resolution was sufficient, but the original file used a color profile incompatible with the newspaper's printing system. Converting the image to sRGB color space before submission resolved the issue completely. This problem doesn't show up in any guidelines I've found, but it's worth knowing about.
Online vs Print Differences
The Deseret News publishes obituaries both in print and on their website, but the processes differ slightly. Online tributes can include video content, guest books, and extended biographies that wouldn't fit in the printed edition. Website placement runs $50 to $100 less than equivalent print space because digital formatting is less restrictive. When families choose only online publication, they sacrifice visibility to readers who don't check the website regularly. I recommend selecting print publication for the initial obituary and adding an online component if budget allows. The combination reaches both traditional newspaper readers and younger family members who search online. Death certificates vs obituaries: These documents serve different purposes. Death certificates are legal records filed with the state and contain minimal biographical information. Obituaries are personal tributes written by families or funeral homes. The Deseret News requires families to confirm that submitted information matches official records, particularly dates and full legal names. Discrepancies between the two can delay publication while corrections are verified.
Practical Tips for First-Time Submitters
Preparing an obituary submission for Salt Lake City Obituaries Deseret News Tributes Honoring Lives And Preserving Legacies involves more than writing the text. Several logistical details affect whether your submission appears correctly and on schedule. Gather documentation first: Before contacting the newspaper, collect the death certificate, full legal name as it appears on official documents, Social Security number (sometimes required for verification), and a list of surviving family members. Having this information organized prevents interruptions during the submission process and reduces the chance of errors. Choose your word count strategically: A 300 to 500-word tribute fits comfortably on one printed page and costs less than longer submissions. If you want to include extensive biographical details, consider publishing a shorter standard obituary followed by a longer tribute in a weekend edition. Weekend editions sometimes carry longer pieces without the same page constraints as daily editions.
Funeral home coordination: Many families work with funeral directors who handle obituary submissions as part of their services. Funeral homes typically have established relationships with the Deseret News obituary desk and understand the local requirements. This can simplify the process significantly, though you still need to review the final text before publication. Review proofs carefully: The Deseret News usually sends a proof for approval before printing. These proofs arrive via email within a few hours of submission. Review them immediately—the proof stage is your last chance to catch errors before the obituary goes to print. Once published, corrections require running notice text at full price. I found that keeping a checklist of required information helps ensure nothing gets missed. The list should include: full name, age, city of residence, date of death, date of birth, surviving family members, predeceased family members, funeral service details, and memorial donation information. Having this ready before starting the submission speeds up the entire process.
Alternative Options
If the Deseret News pricing or requirements don't suit your needs, several alternatives exist. Local magazines like Salt Lake Magazine occasionally run expanded obituaries for a fee. Online memorial platforms such as Legacy.com aggregate obituaries from multiple newspapers and offer free basic listings with premium upgrade options. Some families also publish tributes directly on social media, though this reaches a different audience than traditional newspaper placement. The Deseret News remains the primary choice for Salt Lake City families because of its circulation reach and established obituary process. Understanding how the system works beforehand prevents costly mistakes and ensures the tribute appears as intended. The preparation time—usually 30 to 60 minutes for a standard submission—pays for itself in avoiding delays and additional charges.
