as far as i'm concerned it will be soon so no i'm not bothered in the least by it she probably thinks it's a sign of how great she is

News agencies always prep these things. I remember when CNN accidentally scrolled Bob Hope had died - then ran his obit - he wasn't dead. Then they made the same error with Reagan and Sinatra even Lucille Ball. I know for a fact that Liz Taylor's Obit is ready and waiting and has been for the last 30 years. Liz jokes about it- she's seen it, made corrections and suggestions herself to the writers.

The writers are trying to make sure that they do a thorough job when writing the obits and sometimes they jump the gun and release the info prematurely.

Maybe AP thought they could scare Britney straight. Like that prison program where they take youth offenders to prison and the hardcores try to stop them from living a life of crime.

Maybe in someway AP was just trying to say "Hey Britney, we've been around and we know where this is going and we're ready."

Totally out of line!!!! I am still rooting for Britney. Although the situation with her is darker then it has ever been. I wonder what if the media was to encourage Brit to seek help, instead of living through her in some way with their constant tracking of Brit's daily and nightly activities. No, instead they right an obituary for a girl who isn't dead. That's sick.

totally out of line!!! All these paparazzi are completly out of their mind and they really need to realize that she's not an animal you can chase all day long until his death!!!
That's disgusting!!!

dudeeee... this is so wrong

It's standard practice for news agencies to have pre-written obituaries for famous people. I'd be willing to bet that all the major news outlets have them written for Elizabeth Taylor, just as an example, and probably Liza Minelli and other big stars who are known to be unwell or who are elderly.

I don't think they should have made a statement about it, however. It's just inappropriate.

Oh, it was pointed out to me that Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond series, worked at a news agency in the 1930s and part of his job was reviewing and updating obituaries for people who were still alive. This sort of thing has been going on for a very long time.

There's no need to be outraged that they've got obituaries on file. It's nothing sinister. It's just standard operating procedure, like the way the Queen and other members of the English Royal Family always take something black to wear in case someone important dies while they're away. They need to be seen getting off the plane or the boat or out of the car wearing appropriate mourning clothes. it doesn't mean they're hoping someone will die while they're on vacation!

I do not know what is her mother waiting for, why doesn´t she get her daughter a therapist and let her just rest? britney looks so awful these days, I think she needs professional advice

Everything that happens to her is so frenzy.

No, I work in newspapers and we have obituary drafts on everyone in the public eye, it's all about being prepared and as stated above it is standard practice.

who f*ckin cares?!

This makes me sick. Anyone in journalism would know that this is STANDARD practice. Why does it always have to turn into a circus because Britney is involved?

We're all going to hell in a hand-basket.

OMG are they serious?!

wow. thanks AP. now I actually feel pity for britney spears again. that's so wrong to publicize that.

Personally, I think for all involved it would be better if something did happen to Britney. She is a hopeless cause and I can only imagine what her kids must be feeling and will feel when they grow up and are able to see what a screw-up she is. Everyone says "leave her alone!" but leaving her alone wouldn't solve the issue. She's a psychotic media-wh*re. She has to have the paparazzi around her 24/. She courts all this drama but doing these insane things. She THRIVES on the attention. She doesn't want to be left alone. At this point she either needs to be locked up in an insane asylum or she will either OD of commit suicide. Either way, America is over her.

With the demand for instant media information these days, people expect info available on 24 hour news and the internet as soon as a death is announced. You used to see it in the newspaper a week or two later.

This is completely standard. There are probably obits drafted for Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, and definitely Owen Wilson. But they probably weren't prepared for Brad Renfro, because look how thin the obit was when news of his death was released.

no of course not! Its happening some day, so might as well have it ready

I took several news writing classes and even in a lot of my english classes we talked about how celebrity & prominent figures obits are pre-written. Its easier to just write their life as their living it instead of having to go back and research the whole thing so to save time they pre-write them and then just add any missing details, date and cause of death. Maybe he shouldn't have said it because a lot of people didn't know that but Britney isn't some special case or anything.

Like all those involved in media and journalism have said, it's standard practice. My magazine has prepared obits on almost every major indie player.

Personally I don't think this is a big deal. I'm not sure why the AP publicized it, but it's probably because they're the press and talking is what they do.

It does remind me of the old SNL skit with Dana Carvey as Tom Brokaw though...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnoLeVuAwy4

Good point exyank.

maybe..but the direction shes going..news outlets have to be on standby..but i still dont see what was the point of saying it.

maybe hes just warning some folks..i guess

Totally out of line. Standard Practice does not equal this is the right thing to do. I am surprised by some of you.

I don't see anything wrong with this. It'll save time when she finally does kick the bucket, and it could be very soon. I don't want Britney to die, I would love it if she was able to turn her life around and get back to making music, but I think what she needs more is to do what Demi Moore did - move to some remote location and concentrate on her and her kids and forget Hollywood--too bad she's addicted to the attention.

Totally standard for the AP. They pre write everyone's obits. They are always totally prepared.

Um, she's a trainwreck. Lets be honest, we know we ALL think she's the next Anna Nicole.

As if it would shock any of us.

Her getting her sh*t together would shock me more.

it's so wrong it's sick!!!!!!!!!!!

sick is when home girl doesn't use a tampon for "those days", that is sick, not this.

where the HECK is her mother!!!!!

yes 9 think that it was out of line to talk about it. i remember an article last year about the top celebs that they feel won't be alive at the end of the year and that they have their obits all ready to go. it's one thing to have it done and another to publicize it. she may be a popwreck - but she's still here and alive and kicking.

lots of newspapers pre-write bits and keep them updated with biographical info so that they are ready to go to press. Brit's no exception.

Having the obit writen isn't out of line. Most news agencies have them written ahead of time for high profile people so they can be the first to release it when something happens. What is odd is that they're talking about it.

Yeah thats pretty effed up.

Are the people who find this surprising or inappropriate the same people who think Britney is a victim of the media? And the same people who believe that the photographer sold Britney's photos with the kids to OK magazine last week, when really, Britney released them herself?

This practice has been around for generations. Associated Press claims to have about 1000 pre-drafted obits, and the New York Times has about 1200, so they say.

standard practice... moving on...

It's totally standard procedure. However they usually do this when the person is older, but this girl is risking everything and just doesn't seem to care about her health. I would not be surprised with Lindsey and Nicole also had an obituary. This just reminds me of a journalism I had to do where we wrote obituaries for living people. Hey maybe they should mail it to her. She may see it and wake the hell up. If not for herself at least for her poor children.

I definitely think the manner in which they discussed how her dying would be the biggest story in a while is totally out of line. I think we all think it, but to actually make a public statement is a little insensitive.

I think talking about it at this particularly awful time in Britney's life is what is wrong.

It’s different then preparing for a random death like most new agencies apparently do... this seems more calculated.
It's disgusting.

i hate to say it but i noted on the comment wall that was explaining how she was holding her kids hostage that brit is a classic tragic story and all tragic stories have unhappy endings. Of course I hope she pulls out of all this ok but she really has redefined rock bottom. As far as this reporter being out of line, well I would say this is pushing it but when it comes down to it...He is saying what everyone is thinking.

Not nice!

I am surprised each day to read that she is still alive.

I'm a writer and I used to work at the New York Times; they have thousands of pre-written obituaries of celebrities and heads of state and etc etc etc waiting for the right moment. This is standard practice at all reputable newspapers. How on earth do you think they get out obits so quickly - and are factually correct - in the next day's paper...or in today's world, 2 minutes later and on-line? Don't make much ado about nothing - or much ado about standard journalism practices that have obviously slipped past popsugar's purvey ...

it may be standard pratice to pre-write the obituaries, but to come out and say it isn't. it was either a scare tactic on the reporters part to try and get Brit to stop her self-destructive ways or a very cruel slip of the tongue. either way, the reporter should probably have kept his mouth shut instead of causing more drama in the dangerous, pathetic, and well publicized life of Britney Spears.