Longtime New York Times Obituaries Editor William McDonald reflects on the intersection of history, biography, life and death

William (“Bill”) McDonald spent nearly five decades in journalism, including the past 20 years overseeing one of The New York Times’ most fascinating beats: obituaries. In this exclusive interview with Editor & Publisher’s Editor-in-Chief Gretchen A. Peck, McDonald speaks to the editorial judgment, research and narrative care that goes into the Times’ obituaries — and why writing about death is really about celebrating life.