At least in the USA, we have to be cautious about "what is an obituary." Newspapers also run "death notices" which (both in print and online) look much like obituaries, but are actually paid advertisements. I'm not even certain that the terminology ("obituary"=editorial, "death notice"=paid ad) is consistent across news outlets, I'm just reflecting what I learned from the specific papers I dealt with after my dad died.
Any "systemic bias" in death notices would therefore consider a much bigger/more complex system than simply the editorial powers-that-be. You'd have to also consider what drives families to pay for death notices for some people more than others.
-Pete
[[User:Peteforsyth]]