Sam Eckholm grants rare access to military ops with YouTube docuseries  

Don’t call Sam Eckholm an “influencer.”

Eckholm, a former Air Force public affairs official, has gained more than three million followers across social media with his “Access Granted” program, which takes viewers inside some of the most cutting edge and secure military facilities around the globe.

Eckholm has published more than three dozen episodes of “Access Granted,” giving unprecedented access to service members executing some of the nation’s most technically advanced and secretive missions around the world.

Since its launch in 2020, the series has received more than 500 million cross-platform views, while Eckholm has built rapport with top military leaders in the process.

“That word gets applied to just anyone who does social media,” laughs Eckholm, during an interview with The Hill, about the influencer label.

“I’m a storyteller and a creator. That’s the word I use most. If influencer means we’re shaping public opinion, then maybe, but the word I use is storyteller,” he said.

Eckholm’s aim with “Access Granted” is to educate everyday Americans about the country’s military while highlighting the stories of service members that are typically overlooked by mainstream news outlets.

Eckholm graduated from the Air Force Academy and served six years in the Air Force. He then launched SE Media, a digital storytelling platform dedicated specifically to covering the aerospace and defense sector.

Today on The Hill with Blake Burman, Sam Eckholm goes deep underneath the frozen arctic aboard a U.S. submarine. Watch NewsNation starting at 6pm ET for an exclusive look inside the critical Navy mission.

Today on The Hill with Blake Burman, Sam Eckholm goes deep underneath the frozen arctic aboard a U.S. submarine. Watch NewsNation starting at 6pm ET for an exclusive look inside the critical Navy mission.

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