Gabriela Szymanowska reports on the judicial system for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Prior to this, she covered breaking news and public safety for the Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi. Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, she holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and electronic media from The University of Tennessee, where she was editor-in-chief of The Daily Beacon, the student paper. Szymanowska earned top honors for features/hard news photography at the 2020 Southeastern Journalism Conference on-site competition. As a fellow in the Carnegie-Knight News21 investigative program, Szymanowska, along with 34 other journalists, investigated juvenile justice in America in the multimedia reporting project, “Kids Imprisoned.” Their work won the 2021 Robert F. Kennedy College Journalism Award. Beyond reporting, she’s passionate about photography and capturing the everyday, ordinary moments of people’s lives.
Beat: Sarasota courts
This reporter covers an essential beat—the Sarasota courts. This helps ensure that we cover both public safety and criminal justice. It also will enable us to watch out for non-violent crime like the real estate fraud that was so pervasive here. And with this reporter, we help fulfill Gannett's commitment to more transparent and equitable courts coverage, including tracking stories beyond arrest to document the final outcomes (including when charges are thrown out).