Military Veterans in Journalism is thrilled to announce the return of the Top 10 Veterans in Journalism Competition for 2024. The competition celebrates the outstanding achievements of military veteran journalists throughout the preceding year. Recipients of the awards will be honored during the highly anticipated MVJ24 Convention, a premier event that gathers journalists, industry leaders, and media professionals from across the globe. The deadline for submission is June 13, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Neither the submitter nor the nominee needs to be a member of MVJ to submit a piece for cons ..read more

By Zack Baddorf, Executive Director, Military Veterans in Journalism Terry Anderson, a former Marine turned journalist whose harrowing experience as a hostage captured the world’s attention, passed away Saturday at 76 due to complications from heart surgery. As the Beirut bureau chief for The Associated Press, Anderson was abducted in 1985 by Hezbollah and spent over six years in captivity. On June 21, 1992, Terry Anderson was welcomed home to Lorain, Ohio after his release from captivity in late 1991. Photo courtesy of Paul M. Walsh. While I did not personally know Anderson, I’m con ..read more

March 27, 2024 – Military Veterans in Journalism (MVJ) announced today a new partnership with Gannett to launch the 2024 USA TODAY Network Military Veterans Fellowship Program. This program offers four paid fellowships designed to employ more veterans as journalists within the national USA TODAY Network. Gannett, the largest media company in the United States, has a rich history spanning several decades. Renowned for its commitment to delivering trusted, fact-based news, Gannett operates a diverse portfolio of media outlets across the country including its flagship national publication, US ..read more

Military Veterans in Journalism is pleased to announce the establishment of a new journalism fund as part of our commitment to combating the spread of misleading narratives within veteran and military communities.  The MVJ Information Integrity Freelance Fund will offer freelance journalists and newsrooms a unique opportunity to contribute to countering the spread of propaganda, deceptive narratives, and extremism within the military and veteran community.  The fund of $20,000 will be used to support the publication of stories that focus on propaganda and violent extremism in the ..read more

By Lori King, host of Sword and Pen On this episode of Sword and Pen, host Lori King speaks with investigative reporter and former marine infantryman James LaPorta, who, after exiting the military, broke into journalism by cold calling editors and agreeing to work for bylines. You are about to hear an inspiring story of how LaPorta, with no journalism experience or degree, tenaciously built a journalism career working for multiple mainstream news outlets, the first being the Washington Post. LaPorta, who was recently laid off from The Messenger, also shares h ..read more

By Lori King, host of Sword and Pen On this episode of Sword and Pen, I talk about journalism tools with journalist, author and educator Mike Reilley, who just published his second textbook, The Journalist’s Toolbox: A Guide to Digital Reporting and AI, which just came out in January. This interactive textbook focuses on the “how” and “why” of digital reporting, and equips readers with all the skills they need to succeed in today’s multimedia reporting landscape. Reilley, who teaches data and digital journalism at the University of Illinois at Chicago, has made it his ..read more

MVJ joins a group of over 500 organizations working to bring Americans together across differences to build social cohesion. Military Veterans in Journalism is proud to announce it is joining the #ListenFirst Coalition, a bridge-building collaborative effort of the ListenFirst Project. As a Coalition member, MVJ joins a group of organizations working across the country to give diverse communities opportunities to bridge divides. The #ListenFirst Coalition was created in 2017 by four bridging organizations to aggregate, align, and amplify bridging efforts to reach farther and create ..read more

January 18, 2023 – Military Veterans in Journalism is pleased to announce that NBC10 (WCAU-TV) and Telemundo62 (WWSI-TV) have selected Navy and Army veteran Caron LeNoir-Kelly to join its local newsroom team as an MVJ Fellow. This fellowship, supported by the Philadelphia-based Wyncote Foundation, is part of a new partnership between the Philadelphia NBC- and Telemundo-owned station and MVJ to increase the number of military veterans in their newsroom. Caron LeNoir-Kelly is a journalist, radio host, artist, activist, and advocate. The founder of CARONISMedia Group and a podcasting pioneer, Ca ..read more

Military Veterans in Journalism is pleased to announce the establishment of a new journalism fund as part of our commitment to combating disinformation within veteran and military communities.  The MVJ Counter-Disinformation Freelance Fund will offer freelance journalists and newsrooms a unique opportunity to contribute to countering the spread of propaganda, false information, and extremism within the military and veteran community.  The fund of $20,000 will be used to support the publication of stories that focus on propaganda and violent extremism in the military and veteran c ..read more

Dear MVJ Members, As we reflect on another dynamic and impactful year at Veterans in Journalism, I’m filled with pride for the strides we’ve made together as a community. In 2023, our fellowship and internship programs reached greater heights as new partners joined prior partners to provide even more opportunities for our members nationwide. The success of these programs reinforces MVJ as a catalyst for impactful journalism careers for veterans and military spouses. At the same time, our flourishing mentorship program is fostering relationships that help new and long-time journalists alik ..read more