Analysis: Obituaries
The New York Times published an obituary on Sunday for the photojournalist Dith Pran.
Douglas Martin, the other of the obituary, chose to start with a standard lead: he gave the name of the deceased, a line about his life, when he died and where, and his age.
The second paragraph tells what Pran died of. The source he uses is Sydney H. Schanberg, a "friend" of Pran's. A journalist always wants to use a reputable source when reporting a cause of death, usually a close family member or doctor. Martin must have felt that Schanberg, Pran's journalistic partner, was trustworthy enough to use as a source in a published article.
The next nine paragraphs detail Pran's "claim to fame." He was an important photojournalist documenting the brutality of Cambodia's Khmer Rouge government in the 1970s. Douglas uses Schanberg as a source for much of this information.
The next 9 paragraphs are the chronology of Pran's life, telling where he was born, his upbringing in Cambodia, his education, and his career.
Douglas then gives a few paragraphs about Pran's spouse and children.
The obituary is not a simple resume because it contains quotes from Pran's friends and Pran himself. These additions give life to the story and make it more interesting.