Craig Newmark Philanthropies has awarded a $60,000 grant to Military Veterans in Journalism to improve access to journalism training and career development opportunities for veterans.
As part of the grant program, MVJ will partner with the Poynter Institute to provide access to over $20,000 of Poynter training course access to veterans at no cost. MVJ members who are early-career journalists, aspiring journalists or journalism students are all eligible to participate in these courses. Included in the course selections are some on broadcast, print and digital journalism techniques and best practices.
Two veterans will also be selected to participate in a six-month paid fellowship program at a newsroom of their choice as part of this new partnership. Fellows will be selected by a committee of established journalists, including Jake Tapper of CNN and Michael McCoy, U.S. Army veteran and award-winning photographer.
“We owe a lot to vets and their families, and we need to hear from them,” said Craig Newmark, founder of Craig Newmark Philanthropies and craigslist. “This initiative will really help.”
According to U.S. census data, only roughly 2% of media workers are veterans. “This program will allow us to bridge the gap between vets and media and help more vets break into the journalism industry to continue serving the public,” said Zack Baddorf, Navy veteran, co-founder and executive director of MVJ.
More information on these collaborative opportunities will be published by MVJ in the coming weeks on its blog.
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. Learn more at www.mvj.network.
