As a reader of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, you engage with our online products as a finished piece of journalism – the articles, the photos, videos that illuminate your devices. But have you ever stopped to consider the journey those stories take, the hands that mold them, and the hearts that beat behind the bylines?

Recently, I spoke with Brian Ries, one of the unsung heroes of our local newsroom, whose journey mirrors the evolution of the Herald-Tribune itself. After working for years as a restaurant critic and food editor for alternative weekly newspapers in Tampa and Sarasota, he started at the Herald-Tribune as a freelancer for the then-nascent entertainment and Ticket website.

Ries was soon brought on full-time, his dedication and adaptability propelling him through various roles:

See Full Page