Chris Sampson is the editor-in-chief of National Security Media, a news project based in Ukraine that produces original content.
He is a versatile professional, serving as an author, journalist, videographer, and photographer. His primary focus lies in researching Russian warfare in Ukraine, with a particular emphasis on reporting stories from occupied territories and exposing the extensive propaganda campaign waged against Ukraine for over a century.
In Ukraine, Sampson is a vocal advocate for the release of captive civilians, especially children and defenders. He collaborates with NGOs aiding families of prisoners of war, interacts with individual families, and holds discussions with Ukrainian officials.
He also communicates with diverse organizations and experts in Ukraine about Russia’s ongoing mass information warfare campaign. Furthermore, he frequently attends briefings on various security matters in Ukraine, either daily or weekly.
Before the full-scale invasion, as chief of research in a terrorism firm, his focus was on studying terrorist groups in Iraq, conducting in-depth research on ISIS, Al Qaeda, and related organizations, as well as violent nationalist movements and domestic terrorism. Additionally, research from 2016 onwards shifted to Putin’s anti-Europe and the US renewed campaign following the invasion of Ukraine in 2014.
Lastly, before departing for Ukraine, he extensively researched the convergence of interests leading to the January 6, 2021 attack on the United States Capitol Building.
STATEMENT ON ACTIVISM
First and foremost, I consider myself an activist for justice and accountability in the world. As a young man in the mid-80s, I stood with Houston’s anti-Apartheid activists, unaware of the future path ahead that would lead me to participate in protests, vigils, and eventually broadcasting. My dedication to causes such as police accountability, gentrification, environmental issues, voter disenfranchisement, women’s rights, the death penalty, animal abuse, and torture remains steadfast.
He is the co-author of Hacking ISIS, an exploration of the tools and actions of ISIS online. Additionally, he has written the intro for The Jihadi Next Door by Dr. Kimberly Mehlman-Orozco and Putin’s Asymmetric Assault on Democracy in Russia and Europe: Implications for U.S. National Security the report published by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations from Skyhorse.
Sampson has made appearances on MSNBC, CTV (Canada), BBC, GCTV (Chinese TV), and CheddarTV, and has been featured in radio interviews on BBC, LBC, KPFT, and Canadian radio stations. His insights have been quoted in Washington Post, Newsweek, The Daily Beast, BBC, and Snopes.
Additionally, he delivers presentations on the online terrorism ecosystem, the situation in the Ukraine war, and Russian online propaganda for various organizations and law enforcement agencies.
STARTING IN RADIO
Mr. Sampson began his journalism work at Pacifica radio station, KPFT 90.1FM in Houston, TX in the late 1990s. He served as executive producer and host of Music Beyond Borders, a daily 2-hour program that aired from 1999 to 2007. The show focused on music relevant to global news. His work also included several featured news specials covering topics such as Tibet, Haiti, and other international issues.
With a small, determined group of radio colleagues, he played a pivotal role in revitalizing the station’s news production. This involved overseeing training sessions in media editing and engineering livestreams for special events, ranging from local Houston broadcasts to nationwide antiwar rallies and FCC hearings, meeting various needs of Pacifica Radio.
Additionally, he served as the executive producer for Noticiero, a weekly Spanish language news program. Actively engaged in the local station’s volunteer leadership, he represented volunteers on the manager’s council.
Furthermore, he organized training workshops within the local Houston community, focusing on documenting the stories of elders and capturing local histories shared by everyday citizens.
TRACKING THE EXTREMES
In the mid-2000s, he shifted his focus towards news coverage of terrorism and launched VeracityRadio.com to showcase interviews he conducted with specialists in the field. Notable interviews from 2010 included discussions with Guantanamo judge Colonel Morris Davis, Brigadier General David Irving, Interrogator Tony Camerino, Chaplain James Yee, Attorney Joseph Margulies, and others.
As a researcher, he furthered his efforts by actively monitoring and tracking the online and real-world activities of terrorists globally, spanning historical and contemporary contexts. This work eventually led him to serve as the chief of research in a terrorism firm for nearly a decade.
His responsibilities involved actively monitoring and gathering terrorism data from various platforms, including authentic materials obtained directly from terrorist forums, groups, and channels, as well as reports from cyber-attacks. Additionally, he engaged in cataloging and mapping related information sourced from criminal investigations and investigative journalism. On a daily basis, he directed the development of volunteer teams and collaborated with field experts on a range of pertinent subjects.
He has devoted years to studying the online operations of hackers, including their targeting strategies, methods, and the dissemination of data they employ to capitalize on their exploits. Furthermore, utilizing online tracking techniques, he has assisted in identifying and, in some instances, dismantling portals utilized by terrorist groups such as ISIS, Al Qaeda, the Taliban, Neo-Nazis, and others.
Sampson authored a book on ISIS propaganda and served as the lead researcher for several New York Times Bestsellers covering topics such as Trump, Russia, Putin’s ambitions in Europe, the Yanukovich/Manafort sabotage of Ukraine, and the American Insurrection. His work resulted in frequent appearances on television and in articles during mass shootings, terrorism events, and within online propaganda ecosystems.
Bucha, Ukraine April 2022
PHOTOJOURNALISM
As a photojournalist, Sampson has documented protests, local feature stories, and most recently, the war in Ukraine. He is currently based in Ukraine, capturing footage of the war’s devastation and the local culture. His photography can be viewed on his website and Instagram.
sampsonshots.com
Bandura Quartet, L’viv, Ukraine April 2022
PASSION FOR MUSIC & CULTURE
Beyond his dedication to news coverage, Sampson is a fervent admirer of music and culture from diverse corners of the globe. He has immersed himself in the study and performance of music alongside musicians from numerous countries and traditions. From India, Morocco, and South Africa to Uzbekistan, Turkey, and beyond, he has engaged in performances, recordings, and explorations of these rich cultural heritages, always with a keen eye on the stories behind the music. Sampson is particularly esteemed for his expertise in Indian classical percussion and frame drums from various traditions including personal study with some of the finest artists in these fields.
He has served as executive producer for numerous music concerts and instructional materials featuring esteemed artists from these cultural backgrounds. With a penchant for playing a wide array of instruments from around the world, Sampson continues to expand his personal collection with new discoveries.
In the brief journey of life, we are granted a singular opportunity to exist and experience. Simply hoping to be entertained by the world overlooks the profound beauty of our potential to contribute to the cosmic tapestry. It is a humbling realization, one that fills us with deep gratitude for the gift of existence itself. So, I offer my sincerest gratitude to the Universe for the precious chance to partake in the act of creation.
