Coast Reporter
Coast Reporter is a community newspaper and digital news platform serving the ~34,000 residents of British Columbia's Sunshine Coast, operating print, web, email, and digital editions funded by reader contributions, local SMB advertising, and print sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2026
- HeadquartersSechelt, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Coast Reporter does
Coast Reporter is a community newspaper serving the Sunshine Coast region of British Columbia, Canada, founded in 1997 and headquartered in Sechelt. It operates as the newspaper of record for the southern Sunshine Coast, covering communities from Port Mellon to Egmont — including Gibsons, Sechelt, Roberts Creek, Pender Harbour, and the shíshálh Nation — with a 21-person staff that includes five reporters, an editor (Bronwyn Beairsto), publisher/owner (Patrick Lessard), and dedicated sales, production, and circulation roles. The publication operates within the Lodestar Media network (affiliated with Glacier Media Group), which consolidates back-office and web infrastructure across multiple BC community newsrooms.
The core product is a web-based news platform (coastreporter.net) augmented by a Pagesuite-hosted digital edition, a weekly Friday print edition, a daily 8 a.m. email newsletter, and a Saturday newsletter. Supplementary utility modules include local weather (Environment Canada), GasBuddy-sourced gas prices, classifieds, real estate listings, and Legacy.com-integrated obituaries. The technology stack is a conventional CMS-driven news website with no disclosed proprietary features, AI capabilities, or developer-facing APIs.
Coast Reporter generates revenue from three streams: (1) reader contributions through a tiered membership program ($5–$18 monthly recurring, plus one-time tiers at $50, $80, and $200) marketed under a 'Support Local News' campaign; (2) display and classified advertising sold to local SMBs (top verticals: construction, retail, healthcare, professional services, accommodation/food) with strict weekly booking deadlines; and (3) single-copy and subscription print edition sales. The publication serves two primary segments — Sunshine Coast residents seeking hyperlocal accountability journalism and local businesses seeking reach into that micro-market of ~34,039 people (average age 56).
Coast Reporter firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Coast Reporter
- Legal name
- Coast Reporter
- Website
- https://coastreporter.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2026
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Coast Reporter is a community newspaper and digital news platform serving the ~34,000 residents of British Columbia's Sunshine Coast, operating print, web, email, and digital editions funded by reader contributions, local SMB advertising, and print sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Coast Reporter industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Local Newspaper
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110), Newspaper Publishers (51311), Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)
Keywords
Where Coast Reporter is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sechelt
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Coast Reporter business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Reader Support/Contributions: Monthly and one-time contributions from readers supporting local journalism. Tiers include Local News Advocate ($200), Supporter ($80), Contributor ($50), and monthly options ranging from $5-$18 per month. The publication states that 100% of reader support goes back into local journalism.
- Advertising - Display and Classified: Display advertising with bookings due Tuesday by 2pm and design due Tuesday by 4pm. Classified ads with deadlines varying by type - display ads Monday by 3pm in office or 5pm by phone; line ads Tuesday by noon for self-serve website or Wednesday 1pm in office or phone.
- Print Edition Sales: Weekly print edition sales. The Friday print edition is mentioned as the main print release.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Local News Advocate - $200 once |
| Subscription | Monthly | Supporter - $80 once |
| Subscription | Monthly | Contributor - $50 once |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly contributions - $18, $8, or $5 per month |
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Coast Reporter product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Coast Reporter is a community newspaper delivering hyperlocal news, sports, arts, opinion, and civic affairs coverage to the southern Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Its core offerings are a daily-updated news website, a weekly Friday print edition, a PageSuite-hosted digital edition, daily and Saturday email newsletters, classified and display advertising, real estate listings, and obituary publishing. The publication is funded through tiered reader contributions, advertising sales, and print sales.
Product overview
Coast Reporter is a local news publication serving the Sunshine Coast region of British Columbia, operated by Lodestar Media (part of Glacier Media Group). The offering is a single unified news platform with integrated supplementary services including a digital edition of the print publication, a paid membership/support program for local journalism, daily email newsletters, local weather forecasts, gas price comparisons, classified advertising, real estate listings, and obituary services. The core product is the news website delivering local news, sports, arts, opinion, and community coverage across multiple topic sections including Gibsons News, Sechelt News, shíshálh Nation News, ferry news, water news, local sports, arts & life, and opinion. The platform also aggregates national and international news wire content.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Coast Reporter News Website Free local news website delivering breaking news, local coverage, community updates, sports, arts, and opinion content across multiple topic sections including Gibsons News, Sechelt News, shíshálh Nation News, ferry news, water news, and community events; serves Sunshine Coast residents and beyond.
- Weekly Print Edition Friday-released weekly print newspaper providing local Sunshine Coast news, sports, arts, opinion, classifieds, and community content; available via newsstand and home delivery.
- Digital Edition PageSuite-hosted online digital edition of the print newspaper, allowing readers to browse the print publication in a digital format via dedicated links.
- Local Journalism Support / Reader Membership Paid reader-contribution / membership program with tiered levels ranging from $5 to $200, providing financial support for local journalism; higher tiers include exclusive access to newsroom events and messages.
- Classifieds Online classified advertising marketplace covering categories such as real estate, vehicles, employment, pets, garage sales, and business services for the Sunshine Coast community; serves both local consumers and businesses posting ads.
- Daily Headlines Email Newsletter Free email newsletter delivering top Sunshine Coast headlines at 8 a.m. daily plus a Saturday edition with behind-the-scenes coverage of the week's events.
- Real Estate Listings Real estate news and listings aggregation service for the Sunshine Coast region, including property sales, market trends, and featured listings.
- Obituaries Obituary publishing and memorial services for local Sunshine Coast community members, integrated with the Legacy.com funeral home network.
Companies that use Coast Reporter
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Coast Reporter technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Coast Reporter partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Coast Reporter competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Vancouver Sun: BC's largest daily newspaper serving the broader Metro Vancouver region, including some Sunshine Coast coverage. Operates at much larger scale and competes for some regional advertising dollars.
- Business in Vancouver: BC business news publication owned by the same Lodestar Media/Glacier Media network. Broader regional business coverage but shares back-office, sales, and content infrastructure with Coast Reporter.
- CBC British Columbia: Public broadcaster providing regional BC news including Sunshine Coast coverage. Indirect competitor for reader attention and digital ad inventory, but funded by public subsidy rather than reader support.
Direct peers
- Castanet: Largest digital-first community news platform in the BC interior, also part of the Lodestar/Glacier Media portfolio. Highly comparable as a BC community news outlet with advertising-supported model serving a defined regional market.
- Bowen Island Undercurrent: Small community newspaper serving Bowen Island, BC - part of the same Lodestar Media network as Coast Reporter. Same hyperlocal weekly newspaper model with print + digital edition + classifieds.
- North Shore News: BC community newspaper serving North Vancouver and West Vancouver, owned by the same Lodestar Media/Glacier Media network as Coast Reporter. Closest comparable as a sister community weekly with identical print + digital + classified revenue mix.
- Vancouver Courier: Urban community newspaper serving Vancouver neighbourhoods, operated within the Glacier Media network. Comparable business model: weekly community newspaper with print + digital + classifieds + display advertising.
- Tri-City News: Community newspaper serving Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody in Metro Vancouver, part of Glacier Media's BC community portfolio. Directly comparable weekly community newspaper format.
Regional players
- Powell River Peak: Community newspaper serving Powell River on the upper Sunshine Coast and qathet Regional District. Closest geographically comparable independent community paper outside Lodestar's footprint.
- Squamish Chief: Community newspaper serving Squamish and the Sea-to-Sky corridor in BC, geographically adjacent to the Sunshine Coast. Comparable local weekly newspaper with print and digital edition and classified advertising.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Coast Reporter social profiles
Digital presenceCoast Reporter financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Coast Reporter leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Coast Reporter funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Coast Reporter M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Coast Reporter
What does Coast Reporter do?
Coast Reporter is a community newspaper delivering hyperlocal news, sports, arts, opinion, and civic affairs coverage to the southern Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Its core offerings are a daily-updated news website, a weekly Friday print edition, a PageSuite-hosted digital edition, daily and Saturday email newsletters, classified and display advertising, real estate listings, and obituary publishing. The publication is funded through tiered reader contributions, advertising sales, and print sales.
Is Coast Reporter a public or private company?
Coast Reporter is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Coast Reporter founded?
Coast Reporter was founded in 2026. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Coast Reporter based?
Coast Reporter is headquartered in Sechelt, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Coast Reporter make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Reader Support/Contributions are the primary driver. The others are advertising - Display and Classified and print Edition Sales.
Who are Coast Reporter's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Vancouver Sun, Business in Vancouver and CBC British Columbia. Direct peers are Castanet, Bowen Island Undercurrent, North Shore News, Vancouver Courier and Tri-City News. Regional players are Powell River Peak and Squamish Chief.
Does Coast Reporter have an API?
No public API is recorded for Coast Reporter.
What industry is Coast Reporter in?
Coast Reporter's product category is Local Newspaper. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital). Its NAICS code is 513110 and its SIC code is 2711.