Award-Winning Independent Journalist and Podcast Producer
Chris Walker is a writer and editor based in Denver, Colorado who specializes in narrative longform reporting.
His journalism has spanned four continents, ranging from investigative reporting to arts and culture writing. Chris's stories can be found in The Atlantic, Playboy, the Atavist, VICE, Forbes, NPR, Rock and Ice, Backpacker, 5280, Westword, and LA Weekly—among others.
In 2020, Chris released his first narrative podcast series The Syndicate, which peaked at #9 in Apple's top shows chart. He has served as a producer-for-hire on other podcasts, and also offers contracted editing and fact-checking services for magazines, podcasts, documentaries, and nonfiction books.
Career Highlights
Bicycling from Paris to Shanghai
2012 - 2013
Walker's journalism career began in 2012, when he and another reporter rode bicycles 16,000 miles from France to China. Cycling allowed the pair to find scoops off the beaten track, launching them into investigations of orphanage tourism in Cambodia, child boxing and gambling in rural Thailand, India's evolving transgender community, Uighur rappers in western China, and a climber's daring self-rescue on the border of Russia.
LA Weekly
2014
Upon returning stateside, Walker cut his teeth at Los Angeles' storied alt-weekly, reporting on criminal justice and culture. While at the paper, he unearthed a scandalous tale involving jazz legend Charlie Parker, as well as explored the city's underground cycling scene—like The Fast and the Furious on bikes.
Westword
2015 - 2019
As a staff writer for Denver's alt-weekly, Westword, Walker honed his narrative longform reporting. His 37 cover stories at the paper ranged from profiles of iconoclastic lawyers and musicians in the Mile High City to exploring secret LSD laboratories and embedding with an armed, anti-government militia in southern Colorado.
Freelance Print Work
2016 to present
A murder mystery in Mexico. Missing climbers in the Andes Mountains of Argentina. A profile of America's biggest metal band. Walker continues to write feature stories for national magazines as a freelance reporter.
5280 Magazine
2022 - 2024
Walker spent almost two years on staff at 5280 Magazine as an associate editor, writing front-of-book stories as well as narrative features that explored kidnappings, fraud, environmental scandals and gun violence. His work for the Denver magazine can be found here.
Podcasting
present
Walker's latest focus has been narrative podcasts in the vein of Serial and This American Life. His first, The Syndicate, was released in fall 2020. In 2022, Walker released Ballot Trip, a 4-part miniseries with City Cast Denver after being selected for the first cohort of the Ferriss-UC Berkeley Psychedelic Reporting Fellowship. His next narrative project is in the works.
