OWENSVILLE — Sean Shanks has joined the Gasconade County Republican, bringing with him a varied background, a curiosity about people and a strong interest in the kind of community journalism he says has become increasingly difficult to find.

Originally from Washington state, Shanks, 43, was born in Aberdeen and has lived in several parts of the country, including California, Oregon, Illinois and Pennsylvania. He said one of the things that drew him to the area was the opportunity to work for a family-owned newspaper committed to covering its local communities.

“I was looking to work for a journalism company that was still family-owned and still doing community journalism, and hadn’t been taken over by a corporation or an investment fund,” Shanks said.

Before entering journalism, Shanks followed a number of different career paths. He spent time in the restaurant industry cooking, working as a chef and managing restaurants. He also spent several years working in wine production in California, where he worked on the cellar floor processing grapes and helping turn them into finished wine.

His interest in journalism, however, stretches back much further.

Shanks said he grew up during a time when newspapers remained a primary source of information in many households. Watching the industry wane over the years only increased his interest in becoming part of the profession he believes remains important to local communities.

“I’ve always been a fan of journalism,” he said. “Watching that decline over the years made me even more interested in trying to help contribute to that kind of grassroots journalism that seems to be disappearing in a lot of local places.”

As a reporter, Shanks said he is particularly interested in stories that directly affect everyday residents, including the local economy, schools, city government and public services. He also wants to spend time telling the stories of the people who live in the communities he covers.

“People have a lot of interesting stories and have lived interesting lives,” he said.

Coming from communities of varying sizes — including time spent in central Philadelphia — Shanks said working in a smaller, more rural area presents a new opportunity for him.

He said his goal is to learn what matters to residents and understand the communities well enough to serve them effectively while maintaining the integrity expected of a journalist.

“I really just want to understand what’s important to them and what makes a difference in their lives,” he said.

Readers, Shanks said, can expect him to approach stories thoroughly and with curiosity.

“I hope to be very thorough and to make sure that any time they’ve read one of my articles, they aren’t left with more questions than they started with,” he said. “I’m a curious person. I’m going to ask all the questions I can.”

He said that means going beyond simply collecting quotations and instead making sure he understands the subject well enough to present readers with a complete and unbiased account.

Shanks also said he believes journalism can play an important role at a time when political and social divisions have become increasingly pronounced.

“Not everything has to be polarized,” he said. “We can come together, we can agree on facts, we can have conversations, and all be better off for it.”

Outside of work, Shanks enjoys baseball, literature, music, sports and spending time outdoors.

Although he had only been in the area for about a week at the time of the interview, Shanks said his early reception had already made an impression. He arrived with only what he could fit into his small car, and said local residents quickly stepped in to help him get settled, including helping him find furniture.

“Everybody has been super helpful and super friendly,” he said. “That’s been very much appreciated.”

Shanks graduated from Cedar Cliff High School in Camp Hill, Pa., near Harrisburg, and later graduated from Chico State University in Chico, Calif.

He said he is looking forward to meeting more residents, learning the area and becoming part of the community.

Residents with a story idea, news tip or simply an interest in meeting the newspaper’s newest reporter are encouraged to stop by the Gasconade County Republican office, call the newspaper at 573-437-2323 or contact Shanks by email at shanks@wardpub.com.

“I’m happy to be here,” Shanks said. “Everybody’s been wonderful so far, and I look forward to really learning how journalism works in an area like this.”