Automating Obituaries for Improved Efficiency

Overview

Richland Source, a local newspaper, faced a time-consuming and non-profit-generating task of publishing obituaries. These obituaries are essential for community service but represent a significant resource drain for the newspaper.

Problem

• Resource-Intensive: Handling obituaries required 10-15 minutes per entry for human processing.
• Unstructured Submissions: Obituaries were received from funeral homes and community members via disparate methods and in various formats.
• Low Profitability: Despite the high cost in terms of time and labor, obituaries did not directly contribute to revenue.

The Solution

Our strategy was two-fold. First, we streamlined the collection of obituaries across Richland Source and its affiliate sites by establishing a standard form for submissions. Then, we automated this process, allowing the form’s submission to trigger an automatic creation of a draft obituary post on the website, complete with a feature image. To ensure the paper’s reputation remained intact, these posts were set to “Draft” status, necessitating human review prior to publication.

Outcome

By implementing this solution, we significantly reduced the time spent on obituaries from 2 hours to a mere 20 minutes per day. This efficient approach has enabled Richland Source to redirect human resources to more valuable journalistic endeavors, enhancing overall productivity.