Military Veterans in Journalism

American nonprofit organization founded 2019

Military Veterans in Journalism

Abbreviation| MVJ
Formation| 2019; 5 years ago (2019)
Type| 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization[1]

Tax ID no.

| 83-4253287
Purpose| Veterans and Journalism
Headquarters| New York City, New York
Location|

* United States

Region served

| Domestic

Executive Director/Co-Founder

| Zack Baddorf

Executive Director/Co-Founder

| Russell Midori
Website| www.mvj.network

Military Veterans in Journalism (MVJ) is an American nonprofit organization established in 2019 to support military veterans and their family members pursuing careers in journalism.[2] Founded by two military veterans, MVJ aims to bridge the gap between military service and the journalism industry by providing mentorship and job opportunities for veterans seeking news careers.[3][4][5]

Incorporated in New York, MVJ offers a range of programs and initiatives to assist military veteran journalists. These include fellowships, career-enhancing events, and the MVJ Career Center, an online job portal directly connecting veterans with employment prospects in the field.[6] In late 2020, the Knight Foundation granted MVJ its first significant grant of $250,000 to support its programs.[7][8] Subsequent second grant in 2022 was $360,000.[9] The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has since 2021 funded the MVJ mentorship program annually.[10] The MVJ fellowship program receives support from various foundations and news organizations, including the Wyncote Foundation, CNN, The Texas Tribune, and McClatchy, among others. It has also teamed up with Poynter Institute from a grant by Craig Newmark Philanthropies.[11][12][13][14]

MVJ engages in various initiatives designed to improve newsroom coverage of veterans issues and increase trust in media. MVJ runs a disability inclusion program, an effort to improve coverage of disabilities and disabled veterans sponsored by the Ford Foundation.[15] The organization also offers journalism grants as part of this program, offering financial support to aspiring veteran journalists pursuing innovative media projects around disability issues.[16] MVJ also runs a counter-disinformation initiative to investigate malicious information being spread to the military and veteran communities and counter it through trustworthy reporting by community members, with support from Craig Newmark, the MacArthur Foundation, and the Knight Foundation.[17][18][19] MVJ also addresses specific challenges in national and local news coverage related to veterans and military issues.[20]

The organization also hosts an annual journalism convention for reporters, newsroom leaders, and supporters of newsroom diversity to connect and network with military veteran journalists.[21] Honored at its annual convention are the awardees of MVJ's Top 10 Veterans in Journalism, an annual contest recognizing exemplary contributions and achievements by veterans in the media industry.[22][23][24] October 2023 has seen its third convention.[25]

Its Advisory Council has included American journalists, including:[26]

* Barbara Starr
* Howard Altman
* Jake Tapper
* Jeff Jarvis
* LaSharah Bunting
* Martin Baron

## See also

[edit]

* Military Reporters & Editors, a non-profit organization for journalists covering the military, national security and homeland defense.
* Military Veterans Advocacy
* United States Department of Veterans Affairs
* United States military veteran suicide

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "2019 IRS Ruling Year for MVJ". Charity Navigator. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
2. ^ "Military Veterans in Journalism Inc - GuideStar Profile". GuideStar. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
3. ^ Baddorf, Zack. "We Need More Veterans in America's Newsrooms". Nieman Reports. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
4. ^ "Military Veterans in Journalism". US Veterans Magazine. 4 August 2022.
5. ^ Reardon, Mary (April 2022). "Veteran Journalists Are Finding a Place in America's Media, but Their Numbers Are Low". Editor and Publisher. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
6. ^ "Military Veterans in Journalism Webinar on Maynard 200 Fellowship". The Maynard Institute. 30 January 2023.
7. ^ Baddorf, Zack. "America's newsrooms must hire more veterans". The Knight Foundation. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
8. ^ Bunting, LaSharah. "Veterans in Journalism: The Unique Value and Challenges of Military Vets in the Newsroom". Informed & Engaged. Retrieved 4 February 2021.
9. ^ "MVJ 2022 Grants". Knight Foundation. Retrieved 2023-11-05.
10. ^ Brent, Simon (12 May 2022). "Grantee Military Veterans in Journalism Works to Increase Trust in Media". Golden Globe Awards. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
11. ^ Dyakon, Tina (15 April 2021). "Military Veterans in Journalism teams up with the Poynter Institute and Craig Newmark Philanthropies to provide vets with critical journalism training, fellowships". The Poynter Institute. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
12. ^ Caltrider, Mac. "Nonprofit Offers Paid Fellowships For Veterans Seeking Careers In Journalism". Coffee or Die Magazine. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
13. ^ "Newmark J-School Recruits Veterans Through New Fellowship Program". Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
14. ^ Chan, Sewell; Ayan, Mitra (11 August 2022). "t-squared: Allison Erickson joins The Texas Tribune as a 2022-23 military and veteran affairs reporting fellow". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
15. ^ Mayhew, Chris (16 February 2023). "DAV, Military Veteran Journalists, Devise Training For Newsrooms". Disabled American Veterans. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
16. ^ "Apply for a Military Veterans in Journalism Grant". Colorado News Collaborative.
17. ^ Gildea, Stephanie. "Military Times is partnering with Military Veterans in Journalism, fighting disinformation and extremism in the military, veteran communities". Sightline Media Group. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
18. ^ Rundlet, Karen. "Diverse Newsrooms Include More Military Veterans". Knight Foundation. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
19. ^ Baddorf, Zack; Silva, John; Sperling, Silva. "To help properly inform, infuse modern journalism with more military veterans". Stars & Stripes. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
20. ^ Killie, Sam (12 January 2021). "Answering the call to serve again—as journalists". Report for America. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
21. ^ "Military Veterans in Journalism's Second Annual Convention". US Veterans Magazine.
22. ^ Novelly, Thomas. "2 Military.com Reporters Honored as Among Top Vets in Journalism". Military.com. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
23. ^ "Alex Horton recognized with top honor by Military Veterans in Journalism". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
24. ^ Venhuizen, Harm (January 2021). "The top 10 veterans in journalism and how you could join them". Military times. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
25. ^ "Military Veterans in Journalism's 2023 Convention – New York, NY". Veteran.Events. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
26. ^ "MVJ Advisory Council". Military Veterans in Journalism. 2022-04-29. Retrieved 2023-11-04.