Ryan Callihan named senior editor to lead Bradenton Herald newsroom
Ryan Callihan, who joined the Bradenton Herald as a reporter in 2017 and has excelled covering local government and politics, has been promoted to senior editor to lead the newsroom.
Callihan won praise for his around-the-clock coverage of the Piney Point disaster in 2021. A leak in one of the ponds forced the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to authorize the release of 215 million gallons of contaminated water into Tampa Bay. That spill and the threat of neighborhood flooding had long-lasting consequences, including increased toxic red tide.
Callihan’s awards include first place for investigative reporting in 2022 from the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors. He also earned first-place awards from the Florida Press Club in 2021 for environmental reporting and breaking news reporting. In 2020, he received the Lucy Morgan Award for In-Depth Reporting. Also that year, he received a first-place award from the Florida Press Club for minority reporting.
Since January, Callihan, 28, has also served as the newspaper’s associate editor while also reporting on local government. His work as associate editor included planning and managing daily operations, assigning stories and visuals, and editing articles.
Callihan replaces Lauren Walck, who departed in August to become deputy metro editor of the New Orleans Advocate/The Times-Picayune.
“I’m thrilled and honored to be leading the same newspaper that gave me my first real shot as a journalist. We have a great team at the Bradenton Herald, and I’m glad to be in a position to help this group of reporters produce the high-level journalism that Manatee County deserves,” Callihan said.
Callihan lives in Bradenton and is a graduate of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, where he majored in journalism and media studies.
Alex Mena, McClatchy Florida regional editor and executive editor of the Miami Herald, announced the news of Callihan’s promotion to the Bradenton Herald staff on Monday.
“Ryan Callihan is the perfect choice to lead the Bradenton Herald as its new senior editor. Ryan knows the community inside and out and has been covering it since he was a college student at the University of South Florida. He is a strong newsroom leader, a dedicated journalist and has a vibrant vision for the future of the Bradenton Herald. In his capable hands, we expect great things for his staff and newspaper,” Mena said.
The Bradenton Herald is in its 101st year and serves the Manatee County community through its print edition and online at bradenton.com.
