Military Veterans in Journalism announces the awardees from the 2025 submissions
Military Veterans in Journalism (MVJ) is pleased to announce the 2025 Top 10 Veterans in Journalism award winners. Established in 2021, the annual Top 10 Veterans competition acknowledges and celebrates the outstanding contributions of veterans who are excelling in the news media. The awardees are selected by a panel of experienced journalists and editors from a pool of nominees, and their work represents a variety of mediums and topics across the news industry. Each nomination is carefully assessed based on originality, newsworthiness and impact, journalistic quality, and the diversity of subject matters, sources and authors.
The Top 10 awardees are recognized for their achievements in shaping the media landscape with their insightful reporting and profound storytelling. This year’s winners have displayed exceptional skill, compassion, and a relentless commitment to shedding light on important issues. The work they have produced shows their unwavering dedication to their profession and the pursuit of truth.
This year’s Top 10 Military Veterans in Journalism are listed below in alphabetical order.
De’Vante Martin
De’Vante Martin is a reporter for KNOE News 8 in Monroe, Louisiana. Originally from Saint Joseph, Louisiana, he has been in the Army Reserve since 2017. His love for journalism began as a young child watching sports coverage. After graduating from Grambling State University with a bachelor’s in mass communication, De’Vante has worked with numerous news organizations including The Gramblinite, Grambling State’s TV Center, and the Tensas Gazette.
Award-Winning Piece: 106-year-old Monroe woman defies the odds, living independently
Jason Delgado
Jason Delgado is the Florida Capitol Reporter for Bay News 9 in Tampa and News 13 in Orlando. He has worked as a print journalist at outlets including USA TODAY-Florida, Florida Politics, and Politico. He served in the Florida Army National Guard as a Military Police Officer. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in political science and national security.
Award-Winning Piece: Florida Republicans could focus on property tax reform over sales tax
Jennifer Brookland
Jennifer Brookland is a multi-platform storyteller with global experience reporting, writing, editing and producing. She is a two-time MVJ Top 10 Veterans in Journalism award recipient. Jennifer served as a special agent in the Air Force. She has covered military and veterans’ issues for North Carolina Public Radio and child welfare for the Detroit Free Press. She is a regular contributor to The War Horse. She holds a master’s in journalism from Columbia University.
Award-Winning Piece: Inside a Michigan military school where families leave teenagers out of love, desperation
Joseph S. Pete
Joseph S. Pete is a Lisagor Award-winning business reporter at The Times of Northwest Indiana, where he covers steel, industry, unions, the ports, retail, banking, and more. He has been with the paper since 2013. He is an Army veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom III. He graduated from Indiana University.
Award-Winning Piece: Most of Gary’s long-abandoned but ‘awe-inspiring’ City Methodist Church to be razed after decades of decay
Josh Sanchez
Josh Sanchez has been an evening reporter for WLNS for three years and a two-time MVJ Top 10 Veterans in Journalism award recipient. He also balances his growing career alongside eight years of service with the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves. In addition to general assignments, Sanchez has worked extensively with other reporters as part of the “6 News Investigates” team. His passion for collaboration and teamwork led to several Michigan Association of Broadcasters awards for the WLNS evening news team.
Award-Winning Piece: ‘Stolen Valor:’ Local veterans’ service dog provider accused of embellishing service record
Kelsey Baker
Kelsey Baker is the Military and Defense Reporter at Business Insider. She was a Military Veterans in Journalism Fellow on The Washington Post’s General Assignment desk in 2024. She is a member of the Marine Corps Reserve and served six years as an active-duty Marine Corps logistics officer. She graduated from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
Award-Winning Piece: In one of the Marines’ most iconic jobs, a stunning pattern of suicide
Laura Jedeed
Laura Jedeed is a freelance journalist based in New York City. Her bylines include The New Republic, New York Magazine, Politico, and Rolling Stone. A Colorado native, she joined the Army at 18 as a signals intelligence collector and analyst, serving two tours in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division. She graduated from NYU’s Literary Reportage program.
Award-Winning Piece: Where MAGA Granddads and Resistance Moms Go to Learn America’s Most Painful History Lessons
Pat Simon
Pat Simon is a 20-year award-winning journalist who co-anchors the 5:30, 6, and 11 p.m. broadcasts of WSET ABC 13 News in Lynchburg, Virginia. His military service spans 30 years in the Army, Army National Guard and Army Reserve, retiring in 2018 after serving as an instructor at the Command and General Staff Officer College.
Award-Winning Piece: “I’m no hero.” The Shoshana Johnson story, from the author of the book, I’m Still Standing.
Priya Sridhar
Priya Sridhar is an Emmy Award-winning national correspondent for NBC News. She has served as an officer in the Navy Reserve for 10 years. She is a board member of Military Veterans in Journalism and a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She holds a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s in international relations and history from Bowdoin College. Prior to her current role, Priya was a political reporter for NBC 7 in San Diego.
Award-Winning Piece: Georgia woman sues fertility clinic for implanting wrong embryo after she birthed another couple’s baby
Richard Sisk
Richard Sisk has more than 45 years of journalism experience in reporting and editing in the U.S. and abroad for United Press International, the N.Y. Daily News and now for Military.com. He is a Vietnam veteran who served with the 2nd Battalion, Fourth Marines, in 1967-68. He is a 1965 graduate of LeMoyne College in Syracuse, N.Y., and holds a degree in political science.
Award-Winning Piece: ‘That’s Our Land’: Homeless Veterans in LA Hail Court Ruling Ordering VA to Use Campus for Housing
The above-mentioned veteran journalists have not only elevated the standards of the field but have also fostered public understanding and awareness of critical issues. Their collective efforts will inspire future generations of journalists, both military veterans and civilians.
“The Military Veterans in Journalism team congratulates each of 2025’s Top 10 Veterans award winners,” said MVJ Partnerships Director Devon Lancia. “This year’s winners span the breadth of news, from national to local publications, showcasing the impact veterans have at all levels of journalism. We celebrate their dedication to continuing to serve the American public via quality coverage, and we are honored to have these journalists as part of the MVJ community.”
