One of the hardest parts of leaving the military is deciding what to do next with your life. I was a Blackhawk crew chief in the Army, so journalism wasn’t exactly a lateral move for me. After years of stumbling through community college and graduate programs, I’d finally found myself in the professional world without much guidance to help me figure out what to do next. Military Veterans in Journalism has been extremely helpful with that transition by connecting me with mentors and placing me at NPR for a six-month internship that helped bridge the gap between my schooling and professional life.

Photojournalist and veteran Jeffrey Dean at work. Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Dean.

When I was first approached about applying for the MVJ internship at NPR, I initially dismissed the notion. The position was for a writer, and being primarily a photojournalist, I didn’t see how six months of writing would help me advance my career goals. But, as we all know, opportunities in this world can be few and far between at times. My soon-to-be editors assured me that this internship would be curated to help me learn and grow as a well-rounded journalist while also providing an opportunity to work at one of the premier news outlets in the country. I was sold.

While at NPR, I spent the first three months on the business desk, where I learned how to work with a team to divide up coverage and tackle important news stories like tariffs and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses. I learned what the editing process for a written piece looked like. I received constant guidance and feedback on story-telling techniques and how to shape a narrative. I was able to photograph my stories and work with the visuals team, and I even got to produce an audio piece that aired on NPR’s radio broadcast (still a highlight of my fledgling career!).

After three months on the business desk, I switched to the digital news hub, where I first began learning how to curate NPR’s news stories on their different audio platforms. True to my editor’s word, when we realized that this didn’t exactly align with my professional goals, I was shifted to the breaking news team. There, I had the opportunity to work on news stories such as the invasion of Ukraine and cover the deadly tornadoes in western Kentucky. These experiences gave me valuable insight into how a large news organization decides what to report on and how to cover it. I worked with my colleagues as a team to ensure that people got important information in a timely fashion, lessons I carry with me to this day on every assignment.

Although I entered my internship unsure what I would get from the experience, I left with a body of published work that I am extremely proud of. I was able to work with some of the top professionals in the field and emerged feeling as though I was ready to be a professional. I found my colleagues treated me with respect due to my service and regularly asked me about my perspective on different news stories.

I can’t express enough how important I feel it is for veterans such as ourselves to be a part of the rapidly evolving media landscape and I am eternally grateful to MVJ for helping me and encouraging other veterans to participate in internships such as this one, even if it seems as though it doesn’t align with your goals. Every experience will help you grow as a journalist if you enter them with an open mind and a willingness to learn. These experiences also provide the tools you need to get fast and accurate information to the public about the world around them.

Check out some of Jeffrey’s sports photojournalism work below.

In the modern media landscape, diverse perspectives and stories are vital to the success of local news in informing the community. Yet for many diverse community members, starting a journalism venture can be incredibly difficult. Today Military Veterans in Journalism (MVJ), a professional association dedicated to supporting veterans’ journalistic career growth and diversifying the journalism industry through veteran inclusion, is launching its Entrepreneurial Journalism Grants program to combat that challenge. 

With an initial funding of $10,000, MVJ’s Entrepreneurial Journalism Grants Program aims to empower veteran news entrepreneurs by providing essential financial support to kickstart their sustainable journalism ventures. These grants are specifically directed towards covering the costs for reporting on a high-impact story, including any fees these news entrepreneurs may need to cover to self-publish under their venture.

“Veterans have a wealth of untapped insights and experiences that can reshape journalism,” said Russell Midori, President of MVJ. “This program bridges the gap and fosters their ability to make invaluable contributions to the industry and their communities.”

This program, open for applications until December 15, welcomes veterans with innovative journalism proposals. Successful applicants receive support for equipment, initial expenses and other costs of writing and self-publishing their first impactful story. Apply today and embark on your journey towards journalistic entrepreneurship with MVJ.

Two more fellowships opened at San Luis Obispo and State College newsrooms.

SACRAMENTO, CA July 5, 2023 – Military Veterans in Journalism is pleased to announce that McClatchy has selected three veterans to join its local newsrooms as part of the McClatchy Veterans in Journalism Fellowship program. The selections come after an early March announcement of a new partnered program designed to employ more veterans as journalists serving their local communities.

“Military Veterans in Journalism is proud to have built this partnership with McClatchy to help jumpstart veterans’ careers and add further diversity to local newsrooms,” said Zack Baddorf, MVJ’s Executive Director. “We are grateful to the McClatchy team for its dedication to diversity and the inclusion of veteran voices in its local coverage, and we look forward to seeing these outstanding journalists grow within their communities.”

McClatchy and Military Veterans in Journalism are also announcing the addition of two more in-person fellowship spots in this year’s program. These new positions with The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, California and the Centre Daily Times in State College, Pennsylvania will help solve coverage problems in these local areas. This is an opportunity for veterans who are up-and-coming journalists to receive six months of paid journalistic employment in their own communities. For more information and to apply, please see: https://forms.gle/JuBRMTUDiA5ePNCL8

“We are passionate about high-quality, impactful coverage, and we believe veterans can provide meaningful contributions to the communities our newsrooms serve,” said Natalie Piner, Sr. Director of News Talent, Culture & Training at the McClatchy Company. “McClatchy is proud to partner with MVJ to bring more veteran voices into local journalism through these fellowships.”

The selectees for the McClatchy Veterans in Journalism Fellowships are sorted alphabetically by name below.

Allen Frazier – The Sun Herald

Army veteran Allen Frazier is a Mississippi journalist who has just begun his fellowship at The Sun Herald in Biloxi. As a current graduate student in Arizona State University’s World War II Studies program, Frazier is passionate about historical and military journalism. He is looking forward to growing in a local news environment, connecting with the community, and learning from the Sun Herald team to provide high-quality journalism in Biloxi.

“I am super excited and thankful to receive this opportunity to tell other peoples’ stories,” Frazier said. “I can’t wait to see where this fellowship at The Sun Herald takes me.”

Joshua Carter – Belleville News-Democrat

Navy veteran Joshua Carter is a multimedia journalist who will be starting his fellowship with the Belleville News-Democrat in July. Previously based in San Francisco, Carter has covered a wide range of topics across the local community. Carter takes in the world with a critical eye and strives to “see the story” in everything he does. He is passionate about sharing the voices and stories of others with respect, truth and transparency, and he hopes to continue doing so in a new environment during this program.

“The McClatchy Military Veterans in Journalism fellowship provides me with an incredible opportunity to work in an excellent newsroom right after college,” said Carter. “I feel like the skills I learned in the military are actually being seen and appreciated as well.”

Sonia Clark – The Island Packet

Army veteran and Air Force Reservist Sonia Clark is a photojournalist, videographer and written journalist with a love of storytelling. A native New Yorker with “an eye, ear and heart for adventure,” Clark is constantly seeking opportunities to expand her skills and improve her capabilities while exploring other platforms in journalism, and she hopes to take advantage of the opportunity to tell stories that matter to the Hilton Head community during this program. She will begin her fellowship with The Island Packet in September.

“I look forward to the opportunity to report on the stories that might not otherwise be heard as a McClatchy fellow,” Clark said. “I am honored to be selected.”

About McClatchy 

McClatchy features a powerhouse of vibrant news brands that have earned awards and national recognition, including the Miami Herald, The Kansas City Star and The Sacramento Bee. The McClatchy digital platform hosts over 30 news sites and a robust digital content offering from syndication partners. Our platform is a catalyst for informed engagement, greater understanding, and deeper community connections. Through state of-the-art technology, we reach more than 95 million unique visitors per month by providing essential news and information to the communities we serve. We’re in the midst of a digital transformation, leveraging our platform to deliver mission-based journalism, independent reporting and innovative customer solutions in order to serve our audience at the highest level. Connect with us on social media @mcclatchy or at mcclatchy.com. 

Contact:
Natalie Piner
[email protected]
305-376-2802
Website: www.mcclatchy.com

About Military Veterans in Journalism

Military Veterans in Journalism is a professional association that builds community for vets, supports their career growth, and advocates for diversifying newsrooms through hiring and promoting more vets. Led and run by a dedicated corps of military veterans and military family members, we are working with newsrooms and other non-profit organizations to create opportunities for vets to get a jump start in the media industry. Whether through internships, fellowships or mentorships, our work has created a pipeline to get vets into newsrooms.

Contact:
Devon Lancia
[email protected]
724-924-0905
www.mvj.network

This Independence Day, Military Veterans in Journalism celebrates the unwavering spirit of freedom and liberty that defines our country. Our community of veterans and military spouses continue their service to the American people every day by upholding and participating in the free press, and MVJ remains steadfast in our mission to support every member of our community in their careers. We are pleased to announce that Military Veterans in Journalism will provide a free year of membership to veterans and military spouses who join our community during the week of Independence Day.

“We’ve seen the outsized impact MVJ’s programs have had on our members’ careers and growth,” said MVJ President Russell Midori. “And we’ve also seen our members’ impact on the newsrooms we’ve partnered with. We want to ensure that all veterans and spouses who need these resources to jump-start their careers can take full advantage of them.”

It typically costs $30 for a professional journalist to join the organization, but any new members who sign up from July 3 through July 7 are eligible to take advantage of this opportunity. Once veterans or spouses become members, they receive access to robust resources to support their career growth. These include exclusive job opportunities and paid internships and fellowships in local and national newsrooms, hiring and networking events and webinars, access to fully funded basic and advanced journalism training and certification programs, and a widely praised mentorship program that pairs world-class, highly experienced journalists with members.

To get a free year through this promotion, go to the MyMVJ membership page linked below and choose the “Membership Promotion” option. We look forward to welcoming more military veterans and family members into our community and honoring the spirit of American democracy.

The MVJCareers home page.

The MVJ team is pleased to announce an exciting new addition to the MVJ membership experience! We’ve been working with JournalismNext to develop MVJCareers, a brand-new job search platform available exclusively for MVJ members.

On this new portal, members can upload resumes and browse through employment listings from news organizations seeking to hire veterans and military spouses. Members can search by keyword, city, field of journalism, or even employer to find the opportunities they’re looking for!

Registered users will also receive a weekly newsletter with the latest job listings, which can be unsubscribed from at any time. That newsletter will start this coming week.

Since the site is new, we’re working to fill it up with plenty of opportunities – but we need members’ help to give employers chances to connect with them. To set up an MVJCareers account and upload your resume, follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to MyMVJ and log in. This will transfer your sign-on details to the career portal for a seamless single sign-on experience between MyMVJ and MVJCareers.
   1. If you have difficulty resetting your password or experience trouble logging in, please email [email protected].
2. After logging in on MyMVJ, navigate to the MVJCareers site at mvjcareers.org and log in again using the same credentials from MyMVJ.
   1. Please log in on MyMVJ before accessing MVJCareers for the first time – you may not be able to access the site without this step. After this initial login process, you can log in directly from MVJCareers without needing to be logged in on MyMVJ.
3. Once you are logged into your account, click the “Post Resumes” button on the dark gray bar toward the top of the page.
4. Fill out your profile information when prompted and press “Save”.
5. On the next page, fill in the required fields and as many additional fields as you’d like. You can upload your resume directly into the system using the “Upload Résumé” button under the “Skills” box.
6. Click “Next”. You can add your education and work history on the following screens. We encourage you to add these (you can copy and paste them from your resume) to make it easier for employers to find you within the system.
7. Finally, press “Submit” to save your resume. You can edit any time by clicking the “Post Resumes” button again.

You’re done! Now you can browse MVJCareers freely, and newsroom employers can connect with you to discuss available jobs you may be interested in.

We look forward to making the new MVJ Career Center the go-to resource for newsrooms to hire more vets and for veterans to connect with journalism employers!

Military Veterans in Journalism (MVJ), a professional association dedicated to supporting veterans’ journalistic career growth and diversifying newsrooms through veteran inclusion, announced the appointees to its Counter-Disinformation Program  Advisory Board. 

This Advisory Board will provide editorial guidance, advice and story leads to the Military Times reporting team and the MVJ community engagement team. Their collective wealth of expertise and diverse perspectives will help ensure the initiative’s success in combating disinformation and extremism. 

Members of the Advisory Board will assist with reviewing the reporting team’s stories, discussing trends in disinformation narratives, and strategizing on how to counter those same narratives. In addition, leaders from two other prominent military- and veteran-serving publications — Military.com and Task & Purpose — are joining the advisory board to expand publication of the reporting team’s coverage. The MVJ team welcomes these advisors and the feedback and support they will provide as the reporting and engagement teams begin their work.

“We are honored to have these experts join our Advisory Board, as their advice will significantly enhance our efforts to counter disinformation within military and veteran circles and beyond,” said MVJ Executive Director Zack Baddorf. 

Gigafact, a nonprofit organization working to counter misinformation and build trust in local media, is seeking part-time fact brief writers to support local newsrooms in addressing unsupported claims. These fact brief writers will join the teams at MinnPost, The Nevada Independent, and Wisconsin Watch to combat misinformation in Nevada and Minnesota. This is the perfect opportunity to make a real impact in journalism by ensuring accurate reporting and countering misinformation with your skills.

Each newsroom may have its specific requirements, but the role of a fact brief writer generally encompasses several key activities. As a fact brief writer, applicants will have the opportunity to:

1. Research and Identify Unsupported Claims: The primary responsibility of the role will be to conduct thorough research and identify unsupported claims circulating on social media platforms and public forums within your organization’s area of expertise.
2. Pitch and Assess Potential Fact Brief Claims: The fact brief writer will pitch potential fact brief claims to your editor for assessment. This collaborative process ensures that the most impactful claims are selected for further investigation.
3. Draft Fact Briefs: Using the Gigafact publishing platform, fact brief writers will draft fact briefs for publication. These briefs will provide clear, concise, and well-supported findings, citing high-quality sources.
4. Amplify Findings: Fact brief writers will play a crucial role in amplifying fact briefs by sharing them through various channels. This dissemination of accurate information helps combat misinformation and promotes informed discussions.
5. Participate in Training: Gigafact provides training to enhance team members’ research skills, fact-checking abilities, and effective writing and publishing of fact briefs. This ongoing training ensures that team members are equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to excel in their role.

At The Nevada Independent, fact brief writers will receive $75 per published fact brief with a desired weekly commitment of 3-5 fact briefs, requiring approximately 10 hours per week.

MinnPost offers competitive pay rates: $25 per hour for writers with professional experience and $17 per hour for beginning writers. The desired weekly commitment for MinnPost is 5-10 hours.

By applying for these positions, you can actively contribute to countering misinformation while making a tangible impact in the field of journalism. Don’t miss out on these exciting opportunities to join reputable news organizations. Seize the chance to combat misinformation and promote accurate reporting by submitting your application today!

Newsrooms want to hire veterans. Or they should, anyway. 

Hiring veterans is a great strategy for employers: allowing them to gain high performing employees who are dedicated with an array of skills. Companies are incentivized to hire. 

This is important to know. It singles us out, but if you know this fact, you may as well harness the information and use it to your advantage. 

United States military veterans can leverage their service when applying to jobs thanks to the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. Photo by Todd Trapani on Unsplash.

Whether a service member put in two years or 46 years of service, newsrooms are given what is called a Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) for hiring them as “targeted groups who have faced significant barriers to employment.” That credit can be as much as $9,600 per veteran hired.

The credit available starts at $2,400 and can increase depending on the group and wages paid to the employee in the first year of employment. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, it can increase by 40% of the employee’s qualified wages made in the first year, given a 400+ hours first year of employment.

According to the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal tax credit incentivizes increased diversity within the workplace. We know that diversity impacts the caliber of journalism. This general business credit, provided under section 51 of the Internal Revenue Code, The credit is available to employers up until December 31, 2025, under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.

Veterans aren’t the only ones who qualify a company for the credit. A newsroom who hires any person within one of the designated targeted groups could receive a federal tax credit per individual brought on to work.

Those in the targeted groups include:

• Qualified recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.
• Qualified veterans receiving Food Stamps or qualified veterans with a service-connected disability who:
  • have a hiring date which is not more than one year after having been discharged or released from active duty OR
  • have aggregate periods of unemployment during the one-year period ending on the hiring date that equal or exceed six months.
• Ex-felons hired no later than one year after conviction or release from prison.
• Designated Community Resident – an individual who has attained ages 18 but not 40 on the hiring date who resides in an Empowerment Zone, or Rural Renewal County.
• Vocational rehabilitation referrals, including Ticket Holders with an individual work plan developed and implemented by an Employment Network.
• Qualified summer youth ages 16 through 17 who reside in an Empowerment Zone.
• Qualified Food Stamp recipients ages 18 but not 40 on the hiring date.
• Qualified recipients of Supplemental Security Income.
• Long-term family assistance recipients.
• Qualified Long-Term Unemployment Recipients.

Unlike your age, marital status, and proposed days off in the future, you should reveal your inclusion as a member of the targeted group up front to potential employers because you and they must complete some paperwork on the day or before you’re offered the job for the newsroom to qualify for the credit. 

There are also plenty of ways to connect targeted group members seeking employment to the companies willing and looking to hire them. The American Job Center assists interested employers in recruiting, hosting job fairs, doing skills assessment, and providing support during the transition to the new job.  

A state workforce agency such as the military’s Vocational Rehabilitation or Veterans Administration can predetermine a job seeker as qualifying as part of a WOTC targeted group.  The agency can note this determination with a Conditional Certification, ETA Form 9062. This cuts out a significant step in the process by alerting employers seeking to grow their workforce to the availability of the tax credit and providing a means for employers to request a WOTC certification for the prospective new hire. 

Both taxable and some tax-exempt U.S. employers are eligible to claim the credit. The difference is that taxable employers claim the WOTC against income taxes, while eligible tax-exempt employers can claim the WOTC only against payroll taxes and only for wages paid to qualifying veterans.

Veterans who served anywhere between two to 46 years can be considered a part of a targeted group eligible for a tax credit when hired by a company. Photo by Syndey Rae on Unsplash.

While I did say you, I wasn’t addressing all veterans who may be reading this piece. Not every veteran may qualify for this perk with their new employer, unfortunately. The IRS defines a qualified veteran as: 

• A veteran who is a member of a family receiving assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, for at least a three-month period during the 15-month period ending on the employee’s hiring date
• A veteran who was unemployed for periods of time totaling between four weeks to six months in the one-year period ending on the veteran’s hiring date
• A veteran who was unemployed for periods of time totaling at between six months in the previous year ending on the hiring date
• A veteran who is entitled to compensation for a service-connected disability and hired not more than one year after their date of discharge or when they were released from active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces or
• A military veteran who is entitled to compensation for a service-connected disability of any rating and unemployed for periods of time totaling at least six months in the one-year period ending on their hiring date.

A veteran’s spouse may also qualify for the credit, thanks to the Military Spouse Hiring Act of 2022. It hasn’t passed just yet, but if the act goes into effect, the Work Opportunity Tax Credit would include military spouses. According to the current law, the tax credit only extends coverage to qualified military veterans as members of those targeted groups, not military spouses.

Those factors which may make all of this null and void are the limitations: 

• A qualifying employee must work at least 120 hours – or about three solid, full-time workweeks – during their first year with the company 
• The tax credit is limited to W-2 employees and does not apply to 1099 or contract workers. 
• Nepotism excludes a qualified veteran from earning their company the tax credit, as family members hired do not qualify. Business owners also cannot qualify themselves as WOTC employees. 

All things considered, the tax credit gives veterans another (yes, another) leg up on their competition when going out for their dream jobs – or just a job that’ll bring home the bacon. It is important to research the steps necessary to apply for the tax credit and to involve your employer. Consider it another page on your ILoveMe Book. Make an effort to scrape up the proper forms and bring up the tax credit if your employer doesn’t first. You’ll actually be getting them paid for paying you.