Ben Kesling, a reporter at the Wall Street Journal, will be the keynote speaker for the second annual Military Veterans in Journalism convention to be held in Washington D.C. this week.
Kesling’s reporting on national security and veterans issues has been prolific over the last decade, and is well informed by the six years he spent as a Marine infantry officer, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. He will talk about the value veterans bring with them into journalism careers, and has agreed to read an excerpt from his forthcoming book, “Bravo Company,” and provide insights on publishing long-form reporting.
Kesling will stick around after his address to interview Courtney Kube for a fireside chat. Kube, a longtime Pentagon producer-turned correspondent, has extensively covered wars in the Middle East and broadcasted stories about the veterans who have served there.
Other journalists and industry leaders will appear throughout the convention, speaking on topics critical to the community of veterans in journalism.
Lucy Bustamante, Philadelphia’s NBC10 morning news anchor, will moderate a panel on combating disinformation that targets veterans and military personnel.
Sewell Chan, Texas Tribune’s editor in chief, will moderate a discussion on diversifying local newsrooms through veteran hiring.
Paul Szoldra, founder and editor of “The Ruck” will participate in a panel on national security reporting with Lamar Johnson of Politico and E&E News.
Caron LeNoir and Donna Cole, both members of the MVJ Speakers’ Bureau who travel to newsrooms to provide training on the disability journalism, will lead a panel on best practices for reporting on disabled veterans.
The event, which begins Thursday night and goes through Saturday night, will include a career fair with recruiters from top news outlets throughout the country, an award ceremony honoring veterans doing outstanding work in journalism, and informal gatherings for networking with industry leaders.
Ticket sales are nearly at capacity with fewer than 20 tickets remaining for attendees. Those interested in attending can purchase tickets at https://2022.mvj.network/
