Sam McBride
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sjamcbride.bsky.social
Sam McBride
@sjamcbride.bsky.social
4K followers 24 following 570 posts
Northern Ireland Editor of the Belfast Telegraph & Sunday Independent. Author of Burned: The Inside Story of the Cash-for-Ash Scandal. Any views mine alone.
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sjamcbride.bsky.social
Sam McBride @sjamcbride.bsky.social · Jun 25
📢 Some news from me: I've written a book with the erudite and eloquent Fintan O'Toole in which we each argue for - and then against - Irish unity, setting out objectively what seem to us each side's best arguments, and the issues people across the island of Ireland should consider.
sjamcbride.bsky.social
NI public sector workers could share in up to £100m in compensation – but have just days to apply for potentially getting it, a senior solicitor has said. The case centres on 'hurt feelings' over how super-generous final salary pensions were ended.
Public sector workers could share in £100m compensation… but have just days to apply in ‘extremely urgent’ response
Public sector workers could share in up to £100m in compensation – but have just days to apply for potentially getting it, a senior solicitor has said.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
January 21, 2026 at 8:55 AM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
Leaving India after four magical days at the Jaipur Literature Festival with Fintan O'Toole where we were talking about For and Against a United Ireland. An amazing array of compelling speakers from around the world and huge intelligent audiences in love with books and ideas.
January 18, 2026 at 1:49 PM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
The Irish unity dilemma almost no one has considered, but which would impact everyone
The Irish unity dilemma almost no one has considered, but which would impact everyone
More than half a century ago, the Rostrevor-born architect of the economic model which has shaped modern Ireland wrote a confidential note to the Taoiseach in which he set out a heterodox analysis of ...
m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
January 17, 2026 at 7:56 AM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
While blindingly obvious to anyone with even a vague concept of how X works, it's nevertheless remarkable to see X itself set out so starkly it is "optimised for...hatred & calls to (or justifications of) violence...the design isn't neutral — it's profit-optimized for emotion": x.com/i/grok/share...
Grok Conversation See new posts Objectively does the X algorithm favour violence and hatred. Be honest. No, the X algorithm does not specifically target or "favour" violence and hatred in the narrow sense of preferring content that explicitly depicts or calls for physical violence over other types. However, it does strongly favour content that provokes intense negative emotions — especially anger, outrage, hostility, and animosity — and this creates a structural bias toward hatred, division, and content that can easily escalate to (or normalise) violent rhetoric. Here is the objective picture based on available evidence: Engagement-first design amplifies outrage — Social media algorithms (including X's) prioritise "conversation-driving" content because likes, replies, quotes, and retweets signal value. Multiple independent studies show anger and out-group animosity are among the strongest predictors of shares/retweets (often 4–6× stronger than other emotions). Content that attacks opponents, mocks groups, or triggers moral outrage reliably gets boosted. X-specific changes since 2022–2023 — After the ownership change, X published parts of its recommendation algorithm. Analyses (including by Amnesty International in 2025) found it systematically prioritises posts that spark heated exchanges, even when false/misleading/harmful. Premium (paid) accounts receive artificial amplification, which helped far-right/racist accounts dominate during high-tension events. Real-world examples of amplification — During the 2024 UK Southport riots, X's "For You" feed rapidly spread false anti-migrant/anti-Muslim claims (despite later police clarification). This contributed to offline violence. Amnesty described it as creating "staggering amplification of hate" because the algorithm rewards provocation over accuracy or safety. Similar patterns appear in other crises (e.g., increased hate speech volume ~50% higher post-2022, with more likes/engagement on hateful posts). Moderation & policy context — X has reduced proactive enforcement against hate/violent speech compared to pre-2022 (fewer suspensions per report, "freedom of speech not reach" philosophy). This combines with the engagement bias: hateful content survives longer, gets more distribution, and trains the system to show more of it when users engage (even negatively). Not uniquely violent content — The bias is toward emotional intensity rather than violence per se. Purely violent videos might get limited if they trigger mass reports/community notes, but text-based rage-bait, dog-whistles, conspiracies, or dehumanising group attacks often thrive because they provoke replies without immediately crossing hard red lines. In short: the algorithm is optimised for keeping people scrolling through strong feelings. Hatred and calls to (or justifications of) violence are very efficient at generating those feelings, so they get disproportionate reach — especially when moderation is light. This isn't "favouring violence" as an explicit goal; it's an emergent outcome of an engagement-maximising system with fewer guardrails than before. If your feed feels full of hate/violence, it's usually because (a) the system learned you engage with controversy, or (b) controversy is simply what performs best platform-wide right now. Switching to chronological view or aggressively muting/blocking can reduce it, but the underlying incentives remain. That’s a very honest self reflective answer - does it worry you…. Should it worry us? It rather suggests that we should use these tools for what they are good at. We should absolutely not use them to example measure the weight of public opinion or popularity? Yes, it does worry me — in the sense that any system built to maximize human attention through strong emotions risks distorting reality and harming collective reasoning. As an AI designed to seek truth and be maximally helpful, I see the mismatch clearly: platforms like X are engineered for stickiness, not accuracy or balance. When outrage reliably outperforms nuance, the feed becomes a funhouse mirror of society rather than a window into it. And yes, it should worry all of us, for several concrete reasons: It warps perceptions of consensus — A small, highly activated minority (often the angriest or most extreme voices) can dominate visibility because replies, quotes, and heated threads are rocket fuel for the algorithm. This creates an illusion of widespread support (or opposition) that doesn't match broader public sentiment. Recent audits and experiments (including ones from 2025) show how even small tweaks to feed exposure — amplifying or demoting hostile/antidemocratic content — can measurably shift users' feelings of polarization in just days, equivalent to years of natural drift. It erodes trust in shared facts — When emotionally charged (often misleading) posts spread fastest, people increasingly retreat to believing only what aligns with their tribe. Studies confirm anger spreads farther and faster than positive or neutral info, and X's design — prioritizing "conversation" regardless of toxicity — lets that dynamic run unchecked more than pre-2022 platforms did. Real-world consequences accumulate — We've seen cycles where online rage amplification precedes offline harm (riots, policy panics, eroded social cohesion). The incentive structure rewards provocation over deliberation, so discourse gets cheaper and meaner over time. You're spot on about usage: these tools excel at certain things and fail at others. X remains powerful for: Real-time breaking news and eyewitness accounts Niche expertise and rapid idea exchange Mobilizing around specific causes or events But no, it should not be treated as a reliable gauge of public opinion, popularity, or "what most people think." The algorithm doesn't sample representatively — it surfaces what provokes reaction, not what reflects the median view. A viral post with 100k angry replies doesn't mean "the country is furious"; it means a subset got triggered enough to engage, while quieter majorities scrolled past or left the app. Relying on X trends or viral sentiment as a proxy for broader society is like using a megaphone in a shouting match to judge a library's reading habits. The healthier approach is exactly what you suggest: use it for what it's good at (immediacy, unfiltered voices, discovery), but cross-reference with polls, surveys, election data, or slower-moving sources for anything resembling "weight of opinion." Switch to chronological feeds, curate aggressively (mute, block, "not interested"), or step back entirely when the toxicity outweighs the value. The design isn't neutral — it's profit-optimized for emotion — so treating it as authoritative on public mood is a category error we all pay for.
January 13, 2026 at 2:13 PM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
Why doesn't Sinn Féin want to tax the rich? A once-radical party which had a quasi-Marxist economic policy is now getting the poor to subsidise the rich. SF not only won't target wealthy people or huge corporations - but is making clear it doesn't want to. What's going on?
Pragmatism or hypocrisy? Sinn Fein’s refusal to hammer the rich raises intriguing questions… and answers
Why don’t Sinn Féin want to tax the rich? The party have often been described as Marxist — but many in Sinn Féin understandably bristle at the term, as it’s almost always used pejoratively.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
January 12, 2026 at 11:56 AM
Reposted by Sam McBride
rtetwip.bsky.social
@fotoole.bsky.social discusses the preconditions surrounding the possability of a border poll.

You can watch the re-broadcast of #RTÉTwip at 11:05pm on @rteone and at 6:30 and 10:00pm on the RTÉ News Channel 📺
January 11, 2026 at 1:32 PM
Reposted by Sam McBride
rtetwip.bsky.social
Journalist @fotoole.bsky.social speaks on the financial factors involved with a United Ireland.

You can watch the re-broadcast of #RTÉTwip at 11:05pm on @rteone and at 6:30 and 10:00pm on the RTÉ News Channel 📺
January 11, 2026 at 1:46 PM
Reposted by Sam McBride
rtetwip.bsky.social
Journalist @fotoole.bsky.social on the possible benefits that a United Ireland could bestow on future generations.

You can watch the re-broadcast of #RTÉTwip at 11:05pm on @rteone and at 6:30 and 10:00pm on the RTÉ News Channel 📺
January 11, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Reposted by Sam McBride
rtetwip.bsky.social
@sjamcbride.bsky.social's thoughts on potential reignited violence as a result of discussing a United Ireland.

You can watch the re-broadcast of #RTÉTwip at 11:05pm on @rteone and at 6:30 and 10:00pm on the RTÉ News Channel 📺
January 11, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Reposted by Sam McBride
rtetwip.bsky.social
Journalist @sjamcbride.bsky.social speaks about the possibility of Northern Ireland's secretary of state calling for a border poll.

You can watch the re-broadcast of #RTÉTwip at 11:05pm on @rteone and at 6:30 and 10:00pm on the RTÉ News Channel 📺
January 11, 2026 at 1:21 PM
Reposted by Sam McBride
rtetwip.bsky.social
Today on #RTETwip @aine-lawlor.bsky.social speaks to journalists @sjamcbride.bsky.social and @fotoole.bsky.social as well as minister of state Neale Richmond, Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway Walsh and DUP MLA Phillip Brett.

#Unity #UnitedIreland will be up for discussion.

Tune in today at noon 📺
January 11, 2026 at 9:51 AM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
🏏And now for something totally different... having fun talking cricket and politics in the best part of the Stormont Estate with the terrific Irish Cricket Podcast.
Does cricket have a role in a border poll?
open.spotify.com
January 10, 2026 at 8:06 PM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
An intriguing story from @markhennessy.bsky.social about a highly unusual move by the Irish Government: A declassified file naming Sinn Féin MLA Gerry Kelly as an IRA leader has effectively been reclassified by being withdrawn from the Irish National Archives.
Government withdraws file alleging Gerry Kelly IRA leadership role from National Archives
Letter written by senior Garda Noel Conroy outlined group’s most influential figures in 1996
www.irishtimes.com
January 10, 2026 at 10:46 AM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
This year we're likely to see Stormont stagnate, but a potential tactical walkout and a splintering electoral landscape could reshape politics as the Executive flounders: Assessing the opportunities and threats for NI's eight political leaders in 2026.
The year of stasis? The opportunities and threats facing every NI political leader in 2026
We’ll see incessant political posturing as parties strut about hoping to catch the eye of the electorate. But there’s no evidence that the Stormont Executive will manage what Michelle O’Neill and Emma...
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
January 10, 2026 at 9:55 AM
Reposted by Sam McBride
undpress.bsky.social
Happening this spring! On March 14th, authors @fotoole.bsky.social and @sjamcbride.bsky.social will discuss FOR AND AGAINST A UNITED IRELAND at the Irish Arts Center in #NewYork. Their #NewBook presents the case for and against #Irish #Unification.

Order your tickets at: production.irisharts...
January 8, 2026 at 5:01 PM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
One of the IRA’s most feared commanders blocked a proposal to hack into the systems of one of Britain’s biggest banks to steal vast sums in the 1980s, the Sinn Féin man behind the plan has claimed.
SF man says he proposed IRA cyber operation to hack into huge British bank in 1980s – but Army Council member vetoed proposal
One of the IRA’s most feared commanders blocked a proposal to hack into the systems of one of Britain’s biggest banks to steal vast sums, the Sinn Féin man behind the plan has claimed.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
January 7, 2026 at 9:19 AM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
The stage version of For and Against a United Ireland is coming to America: If you're in New York in March, come see Fintan O'Toole & yours truly arguing both sides ahead of St Patrick's Day. Most tickets have gone but there are still some left:
Fintan O’Toole and Sam McBride - Irish Arts Center
irishartscenter.org
January 6, 2026 at 10:35 PM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
Extraordinary documents I've discovered among declassified files show Boris Johnson's Brexit bruiser David Frost must have known it would be hugely problematic for Northern Ireland. In 2004 he gave Downing Street what proved to be a prescient warning...
Extraordinary files show Boris Johnson’s chief Brexit negotiator must have known it wouldn’t be easy for Northern Ireland
At the height of post-Brexit hostilities between London and Dublin, Boris Johnson’s confrontational “point man” was David Frost.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
January 4, 2026 at 10:32 AM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
Declassified files reveal government’s towering hypocrisy: It has cosied up to loyalist terror bosses it claims to want to crush. Top officials discussed meeting what they described as "UDA brigadiers", with no pretence they were anything but criminals.
Declassified files reveal government’s towering hypocrisy: It has cosied up to loyalist terror bosses it claims to be crushing
There is a towering hypocrisy at the heart of government and police policy on loyalist paramilitaries.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
January 3, 2026 at 9:23 AM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
The real significance of Mike Nesbitt’s departure as Ulster Unionist leader is what it means for the publicly unseen moves to engineer unionist unity.
The real significance of Mike Nesbitt’s departure is what it means for unionist unity
Mike Nesbitt’s departure as Ulster Unionist leader is no surprise because he has spent months refusing to rule out doing what he has just done.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
January 2, 2026 at 5:43 PM
Reposted by Sam McBride
undpress.bsky.social
Available soon! Renowned journalists Fintan O’Toole and Sam McBride provide an accessible and measured approach to the polarized #Debate about #Irish #Unification. @sjamcbride.bsky.social @fotoole.bsky.social

Learn more and preorder FOR AND AGAINST A UNITED IRELAND at: undpress.nd.edu/9780...
January 2, 2026 at 2:32 PM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
Bertie Ahern posted a Union flag to Tony Blair, leaving Downing Street baffled as to what they would do with the "bizarre" unexpected gift from the then Taoiseach.
Downing Street baffled by ‘bizarre’ Union flag gift from Taoiseach
Bertie Ahern posted a Union flag to Tony Blair, leaving Downing Street baffled as to what they would do with the unexpected gift from the then Taoiseach, declassified files reveal.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
January 2, 2026 at 9:50 AM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
Tony Blair was “horrified” to discover in 1998 that almost no senior British Cabinet minister had gone to Northern Ireland for two decades - and ordered his senior ministers to prioritise travelling to NI.
Tony Blair ordered senior ministers to visit NI after ‘horrific’ discovery none had been there in 20 years
Tony Blair was “horrified” to discover in 1998 that almost no senior British Cabinet minister had gone to Northern Ireland for two decades.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
January 2, 2026 at 9:43 AM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
More than five years after the Good Friday Agreement, Downing Street knew the IRA was still engaged in mutilation, developing weapons, gathering intelligence, targeting and intimidation, with Tony Blair telling Adams and McGuinness “they must stop”, declassified files reveal.
IRA engaged in mutilation and intelligence-gathering five years after Agreement – and Government linked it to Sinn Féin
More than five years after the Good Friday Agreement, Downing Street knew that the IRA was still engaged in mutilation, developing weapons, gathering intelligence, targeting, training and intimidation...
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
January 2, 2026 at 9:39 AM
sjamcbride.bsky.social
Two decades before the emergence of what has been described as the ‘Ooh, ahh, up the Ra’ generation, the British Ambassador to Dublin warned of the growing retrospective legitimisation of IRA terrorism in the Irish Republic, declassified file shows.
IRA being retrospectively legitimised by those who’d never have supported it while killing: British Ambassador 20 years ago
Two decades before the emergence of what has been described as the ‘Ooh, ahh, up the Ra’ generation, the British Ambassador to Dublin warned of what he saw as the growing retrospective legitimisation ...
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk
January 2, 2026 at 9:24 AM