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Stephanie Finnegan

Former court reporter and former engagement editor
Topic ExpertiseCrime, courts, Huddersfield grooming gang, social media
Local ExpertiseWest Yorkshire
Languages SpokenEnglish

Stephanie Finnegan reported on the most serious court cases in West Yorkshire between 2017 and 2021. She often challenged court orders, successfully getting reporting restrictions lifted, and reported on cases live. She extensively covered the first phase of Operation Tendersea, an investigation into non-recent child sexual exploitation in Huddersfield. In 2019, her coverage saw her nominated for three awards, of which she won one. She also covered the second and third phases of the operation. In 2019 and 2020, Stephanie appeared in both seasons of the award-winning BBC documentary Hometown: A Killing and the BBC Sounds podcast by the same name, which are about the fatal police shooting of a Huddersfield man. In 2022, she worked as an engagement editor for YorkshireLive. She began her career at a national news agency based in Leeds before joining the Huddersfield Examiner as a trainee reporter.