Sam McBride

Sam McBride, Northern Ireland editor of the Belfast Telegraph, has earned a reputation for hard-hitting, forensic reporting that is fearless in holding the powerful to account. His stories show the importance of detailed investigative journalism, driven by a passion for uncovering abuses of power and explaining them simply to the public.

Such stories include the exposing of one of Europe’s biggest illegal dumps outside of Londonderry. Sam pursued the story relentlessly, helping to ensure the criminals behind the dump were held to account. His reporting has contributed to revealing the person behind one of Northern Ireland’s biggest cannabis farms, who is now in jail. And he uncovered a previously secret file which shed important new light on one of the Troubles’ most notorious atrocities – the abduction and murder of Captain Robert Nairac.

Sam’s work is consistently among the most-read on the Belfast Telegraph website and has been instrumental in attracting large numbers of paying subscribers. In late 2023, Sam launched the Belfast Telegraph’s first subscriber-only email newsletter. The weekly ‘Uncovered with Sam McBride’ explains how the publication’s journalism comes about, building trust with readers. Over the last year, it has grown significantly and is now received by more than 11,000 people.

Judges’ comments: “Fearless. Sam is determined to uncover and reveal the whole story…. Hard-hitting journalism at its absolute finest. Sam is world class.”