Hello, I hope this is the right place to ask for advice & ideas.

I live in a small town in the UK. Our local (weekly) newspaper is 'mostly harmless', but it does have a column 'Thought For The Week' usually written by a local vicar, and which includes the usual warm religious words. Sometimes though it is written by one Rev. David V. Jebson, who I have discovered died last March!

His website is easy to find, and there are many 'thoughts' there which I gather are used by several newspapers. I've checked with the editor, who confirms that they quite often copy his 'thoughts' in their column, I quote from her reply "I like to think that he would have been delighted for his 'voice' to still be heard"

I've checked with a friend who used to be a journalist. He tells me that there is nothing unusual or illegal about this.

I feel I ought to make some sort of complaint or protest, but I don't know what to do ? Writing a letter to the newsapaper is pointless, they would not print it.

Advice please ?

K

Many newspapers continued printing Ann Landers advice columns after she died.

Along those same lines, I'd like to make some sort of protest or compliant myself.
I just saw the movie "Of Angels and Demons" and there wasn't one damned Angel OR Demon in the whole frickin' movie!

Does it really matter? Whether the person is dead or not does not change the value of the message and as long as the original source is stated (and only a name is sufficient) there is nothing illegal about it.

It is your choice of course, but I would leave it be.

(December 3, 2009 at 10:49 am)leo-rcc Wrote: Does it really matter? Whether the person is dead or not does not change the value of the message and as long as the original source is stated (and only a name is sufficient) there is nothing illegal about it.

It is your choice of course, but I would leave it be.

If the column had been signed 'Rev. D. Jebson (Deceased) ' I would not have been so concerned. The implication of 'Thought for the week' is that it has been written a) by someone local, and b) recently.

K

Maybe I should send my column. I am also a reverend after all.

If you feel strongly about it, why not send a letter asking to instead use thoughts sent in by members of the community, whether they be religious or secular.

When I quote Mark Twain do I have to indicate he's deceased?

To me this seems like a very minor issue to worth the trouble.

(December 3, 2009 at 11:12 am)leo-rcc Wrote: Maybe I should send my column. I am also a reverend after all.

Oh? That's new to me. Of which creed are you then, the Church of Postponed Latter Days Saints?

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(December 3, 2009 at 12:34 pm)Eilonnwy Wrote: When I quote Mark Twain do I have to indicate he's deceased?

To me this seems like a very minor issue to worth the trouble.

I agree. You should worry about the religious babble of the living specimen.

(December 3, 2009 at 3:04 pm)Purple Rabbit Wrote:

(December 3, 2009 at 11:12 am)leo-rcc Wrote: Maybe I should send my column. I am also a reverend after all.

Oh? That's new to me. Of which creed are you then, the Church of Postponed Latter Days Saints?

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The World Wide Church of Agnostics.
   

How is this an issue at all? Plato died long ago... but he gave plenty to us that we recognize his name after thousands of years.

It seems dishonoring to think Plato's voice is deceased... He is a distinct individual with a strong voice... and he is remembered well today. So long as one of us remembers him: he will not be truly dead at all... only incapable of saying something new. That neither detracts from what he said, nor from what we remember of him.

So I actually disagree with adding (deceased) to the words of people... who continue to 'live' through what they have written.