Sword and Pen

On this episode of Sword and Pen, host Lori King speaks with army broadcast journalist Lance Milsted, a former Defense Information School instructor.

Milsted, the chief of production services at DoD's Defense Media Activity (DMA) talks about his belief that everyone has a story to tell, and an important part of journalism is to tell those stories, to make people feel something, to get to know the subjects of our stories and ensure we stay out of the way and let them tell stories.

Listen as Milsted also talks about:

• how being a radio DJ in high school led him to join the army as a broadcast journalist
• the Defense Information School and the broadcast track he attended then taught
• how attending the National Press Photographers Association Workshop in Norman, Oklahoma changed his life
• the power of storytelling, and tips and tricks of the broadcast journalism trade

On this episode of Sword and Pen, host Lori King speaks with investigative reporter and former marine infantryman James LaPorta, who, after exiting the military, broke into journalism by cold calling editors and agreeing to work for bylines.

You are about to hear an inspiring story of how LaPorta, with no journalism experience or degree, tenaciously built a journalism career working for multiple mainstream news outlets, the first being the Washington Post.

LaPorta, who was recently laid off from The Messenger, also shares his story about that sudden job loss. The Messenger was a startup nonpartisan news website that hired more than 300 journalists and, in less than a year, laid them all off with no warning. He was the national security and military affairs reporter.

Listen as LaPorta talks about:

• how he became a contributing writer for Hollywood, including This is Us, FBI and Chicago P.D.
• how he covered his two award winning stories
• how he broke the story of contaminated water on the USS Boxer, a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship of the United States Navy
• and what it's like to have a military reporting beat

On this episode of Sword and Pen, host Lori King speaks with journalism tool extraordinaire Mike Reilley, who just published his second book, The Journalist's Toolbox: A Guide to Digital Reporting and AI.

Reilley has made it his mission since 1996 to continuously stock his trademarked online Journalism Toolbox with every kind of tool, resource and training you can imagine, including AI-driven tools, video training and links.

If there's a tool out there, he's found it, or seeks to find it.

Listen as Reilley talks about:

• how military journalists can benefit
• the origin of the Journalist's Toolbox
• how many new AI tools are available each month and how many tools he deletes because they're dead
• the history of online journalism and how news orgs were wrong to cannibalize their print product with a free version of a digital product

On this episode of Sword and Pen, host Lori King speaks with Air Force officer and filmmaker Allie Delury, who is celebrating her one-year anniversary of her production company, Work Our Way, on Dec. 30, 2023.

Allie, who began her journalism and military career at the University of Minnesota, talks about her journey from tv reporter to business owner; what it was like going from social media manager to disconnecting from it; how a controversial documentary about abortion led her to start her LLC; why you should never let fear of failure or insecurity stop you from perusing anything you want to do; and how motherhood in April will compliment her business, not slow it down.

On this special episode of Sword and Pen, host Lori King spoke with four attendees during the 2023 MVJ Convention held Oct. 5-7 in New York City.

First up at the mic was Dan Clare, a Marine Corps and Air National Guard veteran. He was a military public affairs officer for 17 years, and is now the director of communications for DAV, Disabled American Veterans, who sponsored the MVJ Career Fair.

Dan talked about his experience as the burn pit whistleblower, the value of having veteran voices in the media, and about his hope that veterans get hired in journalism at the career fair, where he operated a booth for DAV and sat on the Shaping News Coverage of Disabilities panel.

Patrick Martin is an army airborne infantry veteran from Charlotte, North Carolina. He graduated from Columbia University - Graduate School of Journalism - and is now a producer for the NBC News Health and Medical Unit.

Patrick came to the convention to give a tour of the NBCUniversal studio at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and sat on the NBC panel. He talked about how important it is to get veterans into newsrooms, as well as his role as an NBC producer.

Evgenia Vlasova is a Brooklyn-based video producer, editor and educator. She has been teaching at the New York Film Academy for eight years. Evgenia is not a veteran, but she is a member of MVJ. She spoke about the power of storytelling and how she helps her students adjust to the big city.

She talked about how her veteran students have discipline, being a broadcast journalist in her homeland of Russia, and how the media there is government controlled. She is currently seeking her citizenship.

Juan Carpanzano hails from Bogota, Colombia and lives in New York City. He is a marine veteran who spent five years with Combat Camera.

He is an advance media studies major at Fordham University, concentrating in photojournalism. He talked about his belief that everyone has a voice, and offered this for advice: Push, push, push, and be confident in yourself!

Connect with the guests!

On this episode of Sword and Pen, host Lori King speaks with army veteran and freelance journalist Cyrus Norcross, one of MVJ's 2023 Top 10 Journalists of the Year.

Cyrus, who was an army ranger for six years before pursuing journalism, talks about his Navajo Nation heritage, his winning entry that earned him the journalist of the year award, and his passion for telling stories about the Indigenous community.

Cyrus, who now freelances for Indian Country Today, has been published in the Native News Online and the Navajo Times. He is a member of MVJ and the Indigenous Journalist Association.

On this episode of Sword and Pen, we bring back MVJ president and co-founder Russell Midori to promote the MVJ 2023 Convention in New York City in October.

We also chat with MVJ Mentorship Program manager Simone Doroski and mentorship alumni Jordan Sartor-Francis about a powerful program that pairs our members with journalism experts in the field.

Listen as the guests >

• talk about the what's happening at the convention this year ... and there's a lot!
• tout the skills mentees learn from their mentors, and how it's landed them jobs and internships
• explain how to sign up to the mentorship program and the convention

We also added a new feature to the Sword and Pen that highlights stories in the MVJ Newsletter, and stay for the end of the podcast because we go back into time and listen to memorable quotes from some of our esteemed past guests.

This episode is hosted by Lori King

Sword and Pen is a Military Veterans in Journalism production, and is brought to you monthly by co-hosts Lori King and Drew Lawrence

On this episode of Sword and Pen, we highlight the missions and roles of an Ohio Air National Guard public affairs office and its staff. The podcast was recorded out of 180th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office during their monthly drill in June 2023.

Representing the wing's PA office: Public Affairs Officer Maj. Matt Eck; Senior Master Sgt. Beth Holliker; and two public affairs specialists, Staff Sgt. Kregg York and Airman First Class Sarah Stalder-Lundren. They are all Defense Information School (DINFOS) graduates.

Listen as they >

• talk about the role and mission of an Air National Guard public affairs office
• tout the skills they learned while attending DINFOS
• review the social media policy of the PA office and its staff
• explain how they chose the public affairs field and the 180th Fighter Wing
• discuss the benefits the 180th offers the community and its airmen

The 180th Fighter Wing, home of F-16 Fighting Falcon jets, provides combat ready airmen for federal, state and community missions.

On this episode of Sword and Pen, guest Anthony Vazquez talks about his transition from being a landing support specialist in the marine corps to a visual journalist at the Chicago Sun-Times, a newspaper that canned its entire photo staff for journalists using smartphones in 2013.

If you are a photojournalist, a journalist who takes their own images, a student who wants to be a visualist storyteller, or a military veteran who wants to break into visual journalism, this episode is for you.

Listen as Anthony >

• Talks about how his military experience played a key role in covering one of his first big breaking news stories for the Associated Press in Mexico
• Makes a case for veterans working in the newsroom
• Explains how he went from working at a grocery store to being a member of Report for America to interning at the Sun-Times (and he never left)
• Discusses what's happening at the Sun-Times now, a decade after the photo department was replaced because the management wanted more videos

On this episode of Sword and Pen, navy and army veteran Caron LeNoir talks about her vast experience in journalism, business and activism.

Baltimore native Caron comes from a family with deep artistic and political roots. She first takes us back to her childhood, and how her family of accomplished artists directly influenced her ability to tell stories through multiple formats. She started performing on stage at age 3, was on the radio in the second grade, and literally grew up in the darkroom.

Listen as Caron, the founder of CARONISMedia Group and The Center for Sensual Arts, delves into podcasting advice, entrepreneurship, the power of networking and activism, and her commitment to MVJ and its speaker's bureau.

On this episode of Sword and Pen, MVJ member and retired Marine Corps officer Riccoh Player and acclaimed Oscar and Emmy nominated director and writer Frederick Marx talk about their passion for filmmaker and storytelling, and how they both share a mission to tell the stories of military veterans. 

They zero in on veterans transitioning into successful civilian lives, so this podcast is dedicated to veterans making that transition.

Listen as they also talk about how MJV can help reignite the creative fire that can be distinguished because of guardrails put up during military service; why the military should provide paid mentors to those transitioning into civilian life; and their collaboration on Warrior Films, founded by Frederick. They discuss Frederick's Veterans Journey Home five-part documentary series, which includes Kalani's Story, about a veteran who suffered from PTSD but through therapy and help made it to the other side. 

On this episode of Sword and Pen, guest Ben Kesling talks about his quick transition from being a marine corps combat veteran to a reporter at the Wall Street Journal and a published author.

Listen in as Ben also reads a passage from his new book, Bravo Company: An Afghanistan Deployment and its Aftermath, a story of the war in Afghanistan through the eyes of the men of one unit, part of a combat-hardened parachute infantry regiment in the 82nd Airborne Division.

In this special Veterans's Day episode of Sword and Pen, listen to nine one-on-one interviews featuring MVJ members who attended our first in-person 2nd annual MVJ Convention and Career Fair in Washington D.C. in October. 

The interviews were conducted by Jeff Pierce, director of broadcast and media partnerships for that radio station. Jeff set up his remote radio station booth on the first floor of our venue at the Reserve Organization of America building. We each told our own stories: Why we joined the military, what drove us to go into journalism, and what inspires us now.

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 community and national issues. Co-host Drew F. Lawrence speaks with both reporters about the challenges of transitioning as a veteran, their fellowships and the joys of the community that make it rich with professional opportunity and support.

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 annual gathering will be the organization's first ever in-person convention. Journalists, non-profit professionals, newsroom leaders and other supporters of newsroom diversity will gather to share, learn and connect with each other while focusing on supporting the under-represented community of military veterans in journalism. #MoreVetsInNews

This month’s podcast is dedicated to the MVJ members and non members attending this event!

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 newsroom and what Military.com does. Co-host Drew F. Lawrence -- who works in Military.com's newsroom as a reporter -- speaks with Zach about the inside of a newsroom and how you, as a veteran, can best thrive in one.

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; the need to have tough skin when being told no by opaque military and DoD officials; and the art of filing Freedom of Information requests.

This show will be an inspiration to our MVJ members transitioning from the military into journalism, especially if you don't have a journalism degree hanging on your wall yet. 

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 the United States Military Academy. Both researchers co-authored "This is War": Examining Military Experience Among the Capitol Hill Siege Participants."

Questions by the webinar attendees and answers by the expert panel are included at the end of the show.

Tune in to hear what the panel says about:

• Building credibility and trust when covering military extremism stories
• How to cover extremism in the military
• The lack of accountability and a federal statute regarding domestic terrorism
• The importance of collecting data on domestic terrorism

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 Coffee Company's Coffee or Die Magazine. 

The University of Cincinnati journalism graduate also gives great advice to other MVJ members trying to break into journalism. 

Tune in to hear what she says about: 

• Scouting the competition for her own individual skills growth
• What her boss said regarding core competencies, and how you have to do it all these days
• Finding that dream job. "Don't stop until you achieve it because it's out there." 
• Coffee

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. 

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, which is "arguably one of the most important and influential schools for journalists and democracy in the world."

This episode, hosted by Lori King, is a long soak into the lessons of writing. 

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 criticism of one of his articles.

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 their families. The resources are free and available to all veterans, including our MVJ members. Haynie also talks about the Military Visual Journalism Program for active duty service members.

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 military unit since the Vietnam War -- and how to deal with all of that as a veteran, reporter and human.

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 MVJ. 

"If this is what you want to do, just keep pitching away and keep yourself in the arena." -Barbara Starr

Welcome to Sword and Pen, a podcast about journalism, military veterans, and military veterans in journalism.  In this episode we welcome Barbara Starr, CNN's Pentagon Correspondent.  

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. 

"The wonderful thing about journalism is you don't need permission from anybody." 
-Sebastian Junger

Welcome to Sword and Pen, a podcast about journalism, military veterans, and military veterans in journalism.  In the inaugural episode we welcome Sebastian Junger, an author (The Perfect Storm, Tribe), journalist, and documentarian (Oscar-nominated "Restrepo").

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.