5 crime journalists you need to know
True crime is everywhere right now. Podcasts. Docuseries. Self-made TikTok sleuths. But long before the biggest cases were turned into binge-worthy content, there were journalists out in the field, doing the kind of gritty, boots-on-the-ground reporting that didn’t come with studio lighting or sponsorships. They spearheaded investigations that rattled institutions, exposed corruption and in some cases, changed the law.
At Crime+Investigation, we’re always here for a good mystery. But we’re just as interested in the people who brought those mysteries to light. From Duncan Campbell to Clare Sambrook, here are five crime reporters you need to know:
1. Duncan Campbell
Landmark story: The Torso Murders and Stoke Newington Police corruption scandal
Duncan Campbell didn’t need a byline to be recognisable. Often spotted in a battered leather jacket and skinny black jeans, he looked more like a musician than a crime journalist. But Campbell’s style never got in the way of substance. Over decades at publications like Time Out and The Guardian, he built trust with cops, criminals and everyone in between to make sure he always had the inside scoop.
He covered some of Britain’s darkest chapters, including the Cromwell Street murders committed by Fred and Rosemary West. But perhaps his most defining moment came in court, not the newsroom. After reporting on police misconduct, several officers sued The Guardian for libel. Campbell defended the story, won and set a legal precedent for honest reporting in the process.
2. Paul Foot
Landmark story: The wrongful conviction of the Birmingham Six
If Paul Foot latched onto a case, he didn’t let go. His most famous investigation? The Birmingham Six. The case saw a group of Irish men wrongly imprisoned for a pub bombing in 1974. Most of the press moved on but not Foot. He refused to let the story die and kept digging. Years later, his dogged reporting played a key role in clearing their names.
Like fellow advocate for miscarriages of justice Raphael Rowe, Foot had no interest in playing it safe. He was relentless in the face of injustice. This earned him a reputation as one of the most fearless and determined reporters of his time. His legacy lives on through the Paul Foot Award, given to journalists whose work challenges power and champions fairness.
3. David Leigh
Landmark story: Publication of the WikiLeaks documents
David Leigh never flinched from a big story. In his book The Wilson Plot he exposed a covert plan by British and American security agencies to topple Prime Minister Harold Wilson in the 1970s.
In 2010, he teamed up with Julian Assange to release classified US military and diplomatic files through WikiLeaks. The fallout was global. Leigh went on to co-write WikiLeaks: Inside Julian Assange’s War on Secrecy. It gave readers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the scandal that rattled governments. And yes, saw Assange hole up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for almost seven years.
4. Nick Davies
Landmark story: News of the World phone hacking scandal
Before David Tennant and Toby Jones were hired to dramatise the News of the World phone hacking scandal, Nick Davies wrote the real thing. His reporting exposed just how far tabloids were willing to go to chase a headline. The story didn’t just result in arrests and resignations. It forced the closure of Britain’s best-selling Sunday paper. His 2008 book Flat Earth News became lore for anyone wanting to understand how journalism gets manipulated.
Davies isn’t just out to expose the media. He’s the kind of journalist who makes governments nervous. Throughout his career he’s covered everything from police brutality and bribery to political corruption.
5. Clare Sambrook
Landmark story: Exposing child detention in the UK
Journalism isn’t all about wiretaps and gangsters. Clare Sambrook proved that by shining a light on the UK government’s policy of detaining child asylum seekers, a practice few wanted to talk about until she made it impossible to ignore.
Her reporting for openDemocracy and The Guardian helped launch the End Child Detention Now campaign. More than a grassroots movement, it led to actual policy change. What makes Clare’s work so compelling is her ability to blend compassion and humanity with hard evidence. She’s won the Paul Foot Award and the Bevins Prize, and continues to champion underreported issues.
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