The New York Times published a glowing feature obituary of Elizabeth Taylor following her death Wednesday at age 79. One problem: The author has been dead for almost six years.
News organizations posted long-prepared tributes to the film legend as news of her passing spread, and the piece the Times dusted off had clearly been ready for some time. The extensive feature, updated to include details of Taylor’s passing, had anecdotes of her career and personal life. Long-time Times theater critic and cultural reporter Mel Gussow wrote the piece, which was saved in the paper’s archives in preparation for Taylor’s death.
Beneath the article, the Times ran this statement:
“Mel Gussow, the principal writer of this article, died in 2005. Peter Keepnews contributed updated reporting.”
Prepared obituaries for prominent figures are commonplace in the news industry. In 2008, Bloomberg accidentally published its obituary for Apple CEO Steve Jobs after making updates.