bɪɡˈɪnɪŋ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi θɹˈiː, sˈæmæɾɚɹ ɐpˈɪɹd ˌɔn bˌiːbˌiːsˈiː ʃˈoʊz fɔːɹ ˈɪntɚvjˌuːz ɹᵻɡˈɑːɹdɪŋ nˈɔːɹθiːst ˈæfɹɪkə, ænd dɪskˈʌst səmˈɑːliə ˌɔn ˌɛnbˌiːsˈiː, ˌeɪbˌiːsˈiː, sˌiːbˌiːˈɛs, sˌiːˌɛnˈɛn ˌɪntɚnˈæʃənəl, æz wˈɛl æz pˌiːbˌiːˈɛs ðə nˈuːz ˈaʊɚ wɪð dʒˈɪm lˈeɪɹə ænd kɐnˈeɪdiən bɹˈɔːdkæstɪŋ kˌɔːɹpɚɹˈeɪʃənz ɹˈeɪdɪˌoʊ ænd tˈɛlᵻvˌɪʒən nˈuːz pɹˈoʊɡɹæmz.
Beginning in 1983, Samatar appeared on BBC shows for interviews regarding Northeast Africa, and discussed Somalia on NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN International, as well as PBS' The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's radio and television news programs.