Sword and Pen

On this episode of Sword and Pen, Allison P. Erickson of The Texas Tribune and Tim Lenard of The Nevada Independent talk local news, transitioning from serving to reporting, and how veterans can make themselves an asset to their newsrooms. Take a listen as Tim and Allison take us through working in state-focused newsrooms and how they act as the responsible arbiters of information between their co...

On this episode of Sword and Pen, Military in Journalism president and co-founder Russell Midori highlights a few keynote speakers, journalism panels and job fair vendors featured at the 2nd annual MVJ Convention and Job Fair on Oct. 6-8 in Washington, D.C. The #MVJ2022 Convention and Career Fair is the preeminent experience for the journalism world to put more veterans in newsrooms. This year’s a...

On this episode of Sword and Pen, Zachary Fryer-Biggs, the managing editor of Military.com, talks about the defense reporting industry, his experience with hiring veterans and offers tips on freelance pitches and working in a newsroom.  Take a listen as Zach takes us through his decade-plus of experience in national security reporting in various newsrooms -- from investigations to managing a...

On this episode of Sword and Pen, guest Kyle Rempfer takes us on his amazing journey from being an Air Force combat controller to his current position as editor of the Army Times , a branch of the independent Military Times . Listen in as Kyle chats about the myth of needing a journalism degree to break into journalism; the importance of seeking paid or unpaid internships at news organizations; th...

For this month's Sword and Pen podcast, MVJ is re-airing our Extremism in the Military Webinar that originally aired June 16. Join host Drew Lawrence as he addresses a very timely topic of domestic and foreign extremism with Andrew Mines, a research fellow for George Washington University's Program on Extremism, and Dr. Daniel Milton, director of research at the Combating Terrorism Center at...

In this episode of Military Veterans in Journalism podcast show Sword and Pen , Army veteran and journalist Noelle Wiehe recalls the moment she first realized she wanted to tell military stories for a living, and how joining the army eventually led her to that perfect reporting job. Noelle is a Military Veterans in Journalism member and credits an MVJ fellowship for her current job at Black Rifle...

In this episode of Sword and Pen, host Lori King checks in with Navy veteran Tony Mobley, one of the Top 10 Military Veterans in Journalism of 2020 . Tony's entry, Photo Series: Black Lives Matter Protests , earned him that recognition. Tony talks about how he documented life on the biggest warship in the U.S. Navy; his covid coverage during the height of the pandemic in 2020; and why a photo of h...

In this episode of Sword and Pen, Washington Post national security reporter Dan Lamothe talks about the path that led him to cover the WaPo's military beat; expresses his love for journalism and advices on how to break into it; and reveals why he thinks there's a need for journalists to have conversations dealing with emotional turmoil after covering intense embed patrols.  Washington Post B...

In this episode of Sword and Pen, guest Roy Peter Clark , of the Poynter Institute, discusses the almighty lead sentence. Clark, a journalist, author and educator, also breaks down the writing process into a series of steps; advises how to break out of a writer's block; begrudgingly shares his favorite lead sentence he's ever written; and fills us in on what the Poynter Institute is all about, whi...

In this episode of Sword and Pen, host Drew Lawrence asks Army Times staff reporter Davis Winkie to break down his investigation into Operation Lone Star. Winkie shares his inside story on the Texas National Guard's border mission, talks about taking risks to land a journalism job as a military historian, and admits how he [hopefully ] helped a female boy scout earn a merit badge, despite her crit...

In this episode of Sword and Pen, host Lori King converses with MVJ member Lucretia Cunningham, a former U.S. Air Force medic who traded in her medical kit for cameras, microphones and the almighty pen. Listen as Cunningham shares her story of being an active duty medic for a decade, then doing an about face and transferring into Public Affairs in the Air National Guard; gives valuable advice to v...

In this episode of Sword and Pen, host Drew F. Lawrence converses with Jeff Parrott, a Salt Lake Tribune political journalist, Columbia journalism school graduate and army veteran. Listen as we dive into Parrott’s take on the mental health of veterans and journalists; the importance of veterans in newsrooms; a local Salt Lake Tribune investigation on the Oath Keepers (an example of why local news...

In this episode of Sword and Pen, Mike Haynie , founder and executive director of the Institute for Military Veterans, proudly announces the grand opening of the new National Veterans Resource Center on the campus of Syracuse University in Upstate New York. The sole purpose of the IVMF and the NVRC is to advance the social, economic education and policy concerns of this country’s veterans and thei...

In this episode, Sword and Pen host Drew F. Lawrence has a conversation with award-winning author, journalist and veteran Kelly Kennedy. She is the current managing editor for The War Horse, a non-profit journalism publication that focuses on all aspects of military culture. Listen as we dive into investigations, questioning authority, her reflection of the "worst day" with the hardest hit mi...

This special episode features a podcast recorded and produced by retired U.S. Army officer Thomas Brouns for a Military Veterans in Journalism podcast workshop.  Brouns, who served 10 rotations in Afghanistan, shares his correspondence with Mohammad , one of five Afghan translators he supported in his effort to secure a special immigrant visa. Brouns said he wondered what Mohammad thought of...

In this episode, new co-hosts Lori King and Drew Lawrence discuss their dedication to journalism and the Military Veterans in Journalism organization. Lori began her journalism career when she joined the active Army at 18 years old, and retired from the Air National Guard in 2000. Drew is a former military officer who is just starting his journalism career, and an active member and volunteer of MV...

In this episode, Dave Bruce shares his journey from Federal Air Marshal to journalist. He compares the two careers and discusses important parallels. Dave is a former Army medic and served with the 82nd Airborne Division prior to becoming a federal law enforcement officer.

Sword and Pen is joined by the former Washington Post Executive Editor, Marty Baron, who shares his thoughts on veterans in journalism. Marty also was the Executive Editor of the Boston Globe when it broke the famous Spotlight stories on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, and he was portrayed by Liev Schreiber in the film "Spotlight."

In this episode, Jasper Lo shares his journey from U.S. Army officer to becoming a fact checker at The New Yorker. He discusses the stories that propelled him into the field of journalism, and the lessons he wishes to share with other veterans heading down the same path. Sword and Pen is a production of Military Veteran in Journalism , a professional association that builds community for vets, sup...

Coffee or Die Executive Editor and former Army Ranger Marty Skovlund joins the program to discuss where military veterans fit in the journalism space. Sword and Pen is a production of Military Veteran in Journalism , a professional association that builds community for vets, supports their career growth, and advocates for diversifying newsrooms through hiring and promoting more vets. Support the s...

The Sword & Pen Podcast is back! Season two, episode one is out today and we had the pleasure of interviewing Clyde Gunter for our season premier. Clyde is a member of the MVJ volunteer team and a Production Assistant at ESPN. He had some great things to say about how service members can transition into journalism effectively and had some great experiences of his own to share. Sword and Pen is...

“Find your light, compose the shot, and wait for a moment.” -Patrick Farrell Welcome to Sword and Pen, a podcast about journalism, military veterans, and military veterans in journalism.  In this episode we welcome Patrick Farrell , a photojournalist who won a Pulitzer Prize while at the Miami Herald, for photos he shot in 2009 showing despair in a hurricane ravaged Haiti. Sword and Pen is a produ...

“Get yourself a camera and go to Iraq.” - Chris Hondros Welcome to Sword and Pen, a podcast about journalism, military veterans, and military veterans in journalism.  In this episode we welcome Russell Midori , a Marine Corps veteran and staff journalist for CBS News network. Russell is also an Overseas Press Club Foundation board member, a frequent guest lecturer at colleges and universities, and...

"Don't do it unless there is nothing else you could possible spend your life doing... because journalism is a calling and a commitment." -June Cross Welcome to Sword and Pen, a podcast about journalism, military veterans, and military veterans in journalism.  In this episode we welcome June Cross , a professor of journalism at Columbia University. Cross won 2 EMMY Awards, first in 1...

"I think the way people use something like PTSD to tell stories- they draw from tropes and those tropes make assumptions of how people experience PTSD that can be very positive to help shed light on something or can be very negative in that your spreading some assumptions as a generalization that not all people feel." - Dr. Mary Anne Taylor Welcome to Sword and Pen, a podcast about journ...