{"source_url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk", "url": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-50835942", "title": "Seamus McKee reflects on distinguished BBC career", "top_image": "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/8677/production/_109532443_seamusmckee1.jpg", "meta_img": "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/8677/production/_109532443_seamusmckee1.jpg", "images": ["https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/8677/production/_109532443_seamusmckee1.jpg", "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/8677/production/_109532443_seamusmckee1.jpg", "https://a1.api.bbc.co.uk/hit.xiti?&col=1&from=p&ptag=js&s=598253&p=news.northern_ireland.story.50835942.page&x1=[urn:bbc:cps:ba0dab91-eb5b-4f44-8202-634e8920bdd0]&x2=[responsive]&x3=[bbc_website]&x4=[en]&x7=[article]&x8=[reverb-1.2.0-nojs]&x11=[NEWS_PS]&x12=[NEWS_NORTHERN_IRELAND]", "https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/p?c1=2&c2=17986528&cv=2.0&cj=1", "https://ssc.api.bbc.com/?c1=2&c2=19293874&ns_site=bbc&name="], "movies": [], "text": "\"Part of what I'm enjoying about this is that I don't know what's next.\"\n\nSeamus McKee reflects on a long, distinguished career in journalism - and his impending departure from the BBC.\n\nHe is one of four of the most familiar voices on Northern Ireland's airwaves who are stepping down from their roles in 2020.\n\nTalkback's William Crawley spoke to Seamus about his life and how he got into broadcasting.\n\nAs a child, Seamus says he split much of his time between his native Belfast, where his father owned a paint business, and Dublin where his mother came from.\n\n\"I was a cross-border body,\" he said.\n\nHe began his career, not in broadcasting, but in teaching, which he did for 12 years.\n\nHe started working for the BBC part-time while still teaching.\n\nOf the decision to accept a full-time job Seamus says: \"It was a big decision and, to this day, I'm not quite sure why I made it.\"\n\nHe added: \"When I started it was the hunger strikes and you had to be exceedingly careful what you said. And if you got it wrong very, very quickly people let you know you got it wrong.\"\n\nHe said he is passionate about the importance of the arts in Northern Ireland.\n\n\"I suppose I'm passionate about artists, writers, musicians, dancers - they all contributed to finding answers in this place long before the politicians did and I will never have that taken away from them.\"\n\nHe said interviews with people who have suffered, or are survivors, were more difficult than interviewing politicians.\n\n\"They may not have told what they're telling you to anyone before and you're aware of how much trust they're putting in you,\" he said.\n\nSeamus said he is looking forward to the next phase in his life.\n\n\"For longer than I can remember, my life has really been about what comes next, whether it's the next question in an interview or the next programme, the next assignment.\n\n\"The notion that I've been allowed to go on this long is probably the highlight.\n\n\"It is a very long career, it's been a very privileged one.\"\n\nYou can hear Seamus McKee talk about his BBC career on Talkback on BBC Radio Ulster at 12 noon on New Year's Eve.", "keywords": [], "meta_keywords": [""], "tags": [], "authors": [], "publish_date": null, "summary": "", "article_html": "", "meta_description": "\"Part of what I'm enjoying about this is that I don't know what's next,\" says the veteran broadcaster.", "meta_lang": "en", "meta_favicon": "https://static.bbc.co.uk/news/1.307.03520/apple-touch-icon-57x57-precomposed.png", "meta_data": {"viewport": "width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0", "description": "\"Part of what I'm enjoying about this is that I don't know what's next,\" says the veteran broadcaster.", "x-country": "us", "x-audience": "Domestic", "CPS_AUDIENCE": "Domestic", "CPS_CHANGEQUEUEID": 150915101, "og": {"title": "Seamus McKee reflects on distinguished BBC career", "type": "article", "description": "\"Part of what I'm enjoying about this is that I don't know what's next,\" says the veteran broadcaster.", "site_name": "BBC News", "locale": "en_GB", "url": "https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-50835942", "image": {"identifier": "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/8677/production/_109532443_seamusmckee1.jpg", "alt": "BBC News. Seamus McKee"}}, "article": {"author": "https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews", "section": "Northern Ireland"}, "fb": {"pages": "1143803202301544,317278538359186,1392506827668140,742734325867560,185246968166196,156060587793370,137920769558355,193435954068976,21263239760,156400551056385,929399697073756,154344434967,228735667216,80758950658,260212261199,294662213128,1086451581439054,283348121682053,295830058648,239931389545417,304314573046,310719525611571,647687225371774,1159932557403143,286567251709437,1731770190373618,125309456546,163571453661989,285361880228,512423982152360,238003846549831,176663550714,260967092113,118450564909230,100978706649892,15286229625,122103087870579,120655094632228,102814153147070,124715648647,153132638110668,150467675018739", "app_id": 1609039196070050, "admins": 100004154058350}, "twitter": {"card": "summary_large_image", "site": "@BBCNews", "title": "Seamus McKee reflects on distinguished BBC career", "description": "\"Part of what I'm enjoying about this is that I don't know what's next,\" says the veteran broadcaster.", "creator": "@BBCNews", "image": {"src": "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/8677/production/_109532443_seamusmckee1.jpg", "alt": "Seamus McKee"}, "domain": "www.bbc.co.uk"}, "apple-itunes-app": "app-id=364147881, app-argument=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-50835942?utm_medium=banner&utm_content=apple-itunes-app", "apple-mobile-web-app-title": "BBC News", "application-name": "BBC News", "msapplication-TileImage": "BBC News", "msapplication-TileColor": "#bb1919", "mobile-web-app-capable": "yes", "robots": "NOODP,NOYDIR", "theme-color": "#bb1919"}, "canonical_link": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-50835942"}