The journalist Sean Eckford discusses his work at the Coast Reporter newspaper, covering British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast, journalism, and more, with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, at TheCommentary.ca.

Sean Eckford joins me now. The journalist and broadcaster was in town this past weekend to attend the Ma Murray Awards as a nominee for his work as a writer at the Coast Reporter, a community paper that has been serving the Sunshine Coast for over twenty years. Mr. Eckford joined the paper as a staff writer in February 2016, where he covers municipal affairs in Gibsons and the Sunshine Coast Regional District. He is also the host of The Coast Beat, which is their podcast. His career in journalism began in Ottawa where he was a broadcaster on radio, including a decade at CBC Radio One in Ottawa where he was news editor/reader for Ottawa Morning. He came back to the West Coast in 2006 when he became news director for Coast FM, spending nearly ten years working in radio. Sean joins me today to talk about covering the news in his part of the world, the political issues there and in the wider world. We’re talking a lot about pipelines and tanker traffic, and people on the Sunshine Coast are concerned; just how much are they, and what’s to come here in British Columbia when it comes to the extraction of resources. I’ll also ask Mr. Eckford about his career in journalism, and the larger issues surrounding its future. Sean is also a member of the board of the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts, one of the better literary festivals in the country. Visit www.coastreporter.net, and Sean’s Twitter handle is @SeanEckford. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, in person today, Sean Eckford; Mr. Eckford, good morning.

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