Use a separate layout for news pages, use configurable author name.

config.yaml

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ Params:
   flatterid: 4pq200
 
 Author:
-  name: Briar Team
+  name: The Briar Team
   # String to hex encoder: http://www.wbwip.com/wbw/emailencoder.html
   main:
     - identifier: torsten

themes/briar/layouts/_default/section.html

 {{ define "main" }}
-  <h1>{{ with .Title }} {{ . }} {{ else }} {{ .Site.Title }} {{ end }} {{ if (eq .Type "news") }} <a href="/news/index.xml"> <img src="/img/rss-icon.png" class="rss-icon"/></a> {{ end }} </h1>
+  <h1>{{ with .Title }} {{ . }} {{ else }} {{ .Site.Title }} {{ end }}</h1>
   {{ .Content }}
   {{ range .Pages.ByDate.Reverse }}
     {{ if not .Params.hide }}
-      <h3 itemprop="headline" class="blog-post-title">
+      <h3 itemprop="headline">
         <a href="{{.Permalink}}">{{.Title}}</a>
       </h3>
-      <p class="blog-post-meta">
-        {{.Date.Format "January 2, 2006"}} by
-        {{ if (isset .Params "author") }}
-          {{ markdownify .Params.author }}
-        {{ else }}
-          The Briar Team
-        {{ end }}
-      </p>
-      <div>
-        {{ .Summary | safeHTML |  truncate 250 }}
-        <a href='{{ .Permalink }}'><nobr>Read more →</nobr></a>
-      </div>
-      <hr/>
     {{ end }}
   {{ end }}
 {{ end }}

themes/briar/layouts/_default/single.html

 {{ define "main" }}
 <h2>{{ .Title }}</h2>
-<p>
-    {{ if (eq .Type "news") }}
-      {{.Date.Format "January 2, 2006"}} by
-      {{ if (isset .Params "author") }}
-        {{ markdownify .Params.author }}
-      {{ else }}
-        The Briar Team
-      {{ end }}
-    {{ end }}
-</p>
 {{ .Content }}
 {{ end }}

themes/briar/layouts/news/section.html

+{{ define "main" }}
+  <h1>{{ with .Title }} {{ . }} {{ else }} {{ .Site.Title }} {{ end }} <a href="/news/index.xml"> <img src="/img/rss-icon.png" class="rss-icon"/></a> </h1>
+  {{ .Content }}
+  {{ range .Pages.ByDate.Reverse }}
+    {{ if not .Params.hide }}
+      <h3 itemprop="headline" class="blog-post-title">
+        <a href="{{.Permalink}}">{{.Title}}</a>
+      </h3>
+      <p class="blog-post-meta">
+        {{.Date.Format "January 2, 2006"}} by
+        {{ if (isset .Params "author") }}
+          {{ markdownify .Params.author }}
+        {{ else }}
+          {{ .Site.Author.name }}
+        {{ end }}
+      </p>
+      <div>
+        {{ .Summary | safeHTML |  truncate 250 }}
+        <a href='{{ .Permalink }}'><nobr>Read more →</nobr></a>
+      </div>
+      <hr/>
+    {{ end }}
+  {{ end }}
+{{ end }}

themes/briar/layouts/news/single.html

+{{ define "main" }}
+<h2>{{ .Title }}</h2>
+<p>
+    {{.Date.Format "January 2, 2006"}} by
+    {{ if (isset .Params "author") }}
+      {{ markdownify .Params.author }}
+    {{ else }}
+      {{ .Site.Author.name }}
+    {{ end }}
+</p>
+{{ .Content }}
+{{ end }}