When families have questions about funeral planning, grief or end-of-life options, their first conversation isn’t always with a funeral director.

They may start with a Google search, read an article, listen to a podcast, ask an AI tool or come across a story in their social media feed.

That makes it increasingly important that funeral professionals have a voice in the places where consumers are already looking for information.

That’s a major focus of NFDA’s consumer public relations efforts: connecting journalists, podcast hosts and other media with knowledgeable funeral professionals who can provide accurate information, answer questions and help the public better understand the value of funeral service.

And in 2026, those efforts are reaching a lot of people.

More Than 2,600 Opportunities to Tell Our Story

Through September 15, NFDA has generated 2,691 media placements with a potential readership of more than 5.2 billion.

But the numbers only tell part of the story.

NFDA spokespersons and research have helped bring the funeral profession’s perspective to conversations taking place in major national and international media. Recent coverage has explored everything from advance funeral planning and embalming to emerging AI tools related to death and remembrance.

In each case, the goal is bigger than getting NFDA’s name into a story. It’s about making sure consumers hear from people who actually understand funeral service.

Taking the Conversation Deeper

Podcasts have become an especially valuable part of that effort.

Following 14 podcast interviews during the first half of 2026, NFDA continues to see interest from hosts who want to talk with funeral professionals about advance planning, grief, green funeral options, memorialization, changing consumer preferences and what it’s really like to work in funeral service.

These longer conversations give our spokespersons something a short news interview often can’t: time.

Time to explain why funerals matter. Time to talk about the many choices families have today. Time to address misconceptions. And time to introduce consumers to the compassionate professionals behind funeral service.

You’ve seen several of those conversations featured here recently, including interviews with NFDA spokespersons Bob Arrington, Dan Ford, Stephen Kemp, Tim Schramm and Allyse Worland.

And the opportunities keep growing. An NFDA spokesperson’s appearance on The Final Curtain Never Closes, produced by the National Museum of Funeral History, helped spark an expanded partnership that will bring the podcast to the 2026 NFDA International Convention & Expo to record conversations from the Expo Hall.

Why This Matters to Your Funeral Home

Consumer public relations may happen at the national level, but its purpose is very much local.

Every time a consumer encounters a funeral director providing thoughtful, compassionate expertise in a news story or podcast, we have an opportunity to build greater understanding of the profession.

We can help someone understand why gathering after a death matters, introduce a family to options they didn’t know existed, encourage someone to have an advance planning conversation, correct a misconception about funeral service, or simply help the public see funeral directors as the knowledgeable, caring professionals you know them to be.

That’s why NFDA will continue working to put funeral professionals into the conversations consumers are already having.

And you can help extend that reach. When you see NFDA share a consumer-focused article, interview or podcast, consider sharing it through your funeral home’s social media channels, newsletter or website. Together, we can make sure more families have access to accurate information and hear directly from the professionals who serve them every day.