Sam McBride

Exceptional investigative skills are the hallmark of Sam McBride’s reporting, which culminated in breaking the news of perhaps the worst data breach in UK history, the astonishing moment that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) mistakenly published online the names and details of every employee – more than 10,000 people in all. McBride broke the story on the website 90 minutes after receiving a tip-off, having established that the data had been removed so criminals were not alerted to it. Amid continued reporting about the ensuing crisis over the following weeks, PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne resigned. McBride continued to hold the PSNI to account, publishing an investigation into alleged corruption in the force’s anti-corruption unit. The judges praised McBride’s stories for their impact and depth, adding that they were “strong examples of holding public bodies to account”. In one cited article, he travelled to the Mobuoy illegal dump outside Derry – one of Europe’s biggest illegal sites which had begun polluting the city’s drinking water. His work revealed an old office from which a criminal enterprise was run. Weeks of work resulted in multiple stories and a podcast video report. McBride’s articles - combined with the enormous interest from the public - put pressure on the Stormont department responsible to take action on the scandal.