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On this episode of the Sword and Pen, join host Devon Lancia and guest Anthony Dyer as the two discuss long-form writing, memoir composition, and how writing as a medium can help veterans heal. A former U.S. Air Force special missions aviator from the mountains of North Carolina with over a decade of experience in special operations aviation, Anthony works to break the stigma surrounding mental health in the military, aviation, and veteran communities through his speaking and writing. His debut memoir, Moon Child, tells the story of his experiences in combat, as well as his own mental health struggles after service. Sword and Pen is a Military Veterans in Journalism production. Find out more about us at www.mvj.network.

On this episode of the Sword and Pen, host Devon Lancia sits down with guest Benjamin Goldhagen for a conversation on the art of creating war documentaries that tell the human perspective. As the son of a Holocaust survivor, Benjamin’s personal history fuels his work, currently focused on showing the human cost of war from the lense of the conflict in Ukraine. During this conversation, he discusses his experiences with filming conflict and what fellow journalists need to know about war coverage today.Benjamin's two documentaries on the conflict in Ukraine, The Steel Porcupine and To the Zero Line, are available to watch online for free. Follow Benjamin on X to keep in touch with his work or reach out on the Goldhagen Group website!

On this episode of the Sword and Pen, join host Devon Lancia and guest David Kendrick for a conversation on mental health in veterans coverage. Using his experience as a Purple Heart veteran during the troop surge in Iraq, David tells his own story and those of veterans across the country to help bridge the military-civilian divide and give audiences a better understanding of what veterans need in mental healthcare. He also advocates for improvements in the VA system and general treatment of and sentiment around individuals with disabilities. Follow David on YouTube, LinkedIn and Facebook to keep in touch with his work or reach out for storytelling advice! Sword and Pen is a Military Veterans in Journalism production. Find out more about us at ⁠www.mvj.network⁠.

On this episode of the Sword and Pen, listen in as host Devon Lancia speaks with former Army officer and veteran empowerment leader Chris Marvin about his story, his advice for fellow storytellers, and his tips for firearm violence coverage. As the veteran engagement lead with Everytown for Gun Safety, Chris and his fellow veterans from all walks of life and backgrounds are helping shape the conversation around firearm safety - including how journalists can help. Everytown and its Veterans Advisory Council have just released their newest project: Train SMART, a first-of-its-kind program designed to provide both current and prospective firearm owners the info needed to learn and understand the same training, safety, and accountability military veterans have learned when owning and operating firearms. Check out Train Smart here to learn more: https://trainsmartgunsafety.org/ Sword and Pen is a Military Veterans in Journalism production. Find out more about us at www.mvj.network.

On this episode of the Sword and Pen, listen in as we honor this year's Top Ten Veterans in Journalism awardees. Hear each speak about the stories they were selected for and their career experiences from our Top Ten Veterans in Journalism spotlight panel at #MVJ25 on July 8, 2025. Since 2021, MVJ has acknowledged and celebrated the outstanding contributions of veterans who are excelling in the news media via the Top 10 Veterans in Journalism awards. Find out more about this year's awardees and their pieces on the MVJ Blog: https://www.mvj.network/2025-top-10-veterans-in-journalism-winners-announced/

On this episode of the Sword and Pen, MVJ Partnerships Director Devon Lancia sits down with Drew F. Lawrence, Marine Corps reporter at Military.com, host of the Fire Watch and Army veteran. Listen in as Drew discusses his own career journey, his advice for learning as much as possible early on, and the importance of readiness and taking care of yourself before - and after - becoming a journalist. Sword and Pen is a ⁠Military Veterans in Journalism⁠ production.

On this episode of the Sword and Pen, host Caron LeNoir-Kelly discusses women veterans issues and considerations with Ginger Baine Miller, the CEO of Women Veterans Interactive Foundation. Listen in as the two talk about WVIF's efforts to build community for women veterans. Sword and Pen is a Military Veterans in Journalism production.

On this episode of the Sword and Pen, MVJ Partnerships Director Devon Lancia sits down with Sara Samora, MVJ Advisory Board member, Manufacturing Dive journalist and Marine Corps veteran. Tune in to learn about Sara's journey to get to where she is today and her advice for fellow vets looking to get started in business coverage. Sword and Pen is a Military Veterans in Journalism production.

On this episode of the Sword and Pen, host Caron LeNoir-Kelly sits down with Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon, journalist, happiness scholar and co-chair of NABJ's Wellness Task Force, to discuss her efforts to support mental health in newsrooms. Listen in as the two discuss the value of journalists and newsrooms seeking ways to maintain stability and seek happiness in the churn of the news cycle. Sword and Pen is a Military Veterans in Journalism production.

On this episode of the Sword and Pen, host Caron LeNoir-Kelly honors Black history and Black military history while looking back at the Military Veterans in Journalism community in 2024. Listen in as LeNoir-Kelly and MVJ Board Member Zack Baddorf talk about what MVJ accomplished over the past year, what the future holds, and the importance of including veteran voices in journalism. Sword and Pen is a Military Veterans in Journalism production.

Military Veterans in Journalism board members Lucy Bustamante and Zack Baddorf start off the year talking about the value of vets in covering the new administration, plus some tips on how to jumpstart your career in media. Sword and Pen is a Military Veterans in Journalism production.

On this episode of the Sword and Pen, host Lori King speaks with navy veteran, MVJ member and NPR radio producer Jason Burrows. Burrows broke into radio onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln by volunteering for the ship's radio station, KRUZ-FM. After ETSing from the navy, he landed his first radio gig as the "Jack of all Trades" at 96.5 Jack-FM, where he served for 15 years. Burrows, a Seattle resident, is part of the production team for KUOW's Soundside. KUOW is an NPR affiliate. Listen as Burrows talks about: how he broke into radio on the USS Abraham Lincoln following his heart when he quit a secure job with a barge company with benefits for a less secure part-time radio job his roller blading podcast that lasted five years valuable tips, tricks and advice for anyone wanting to break into podcasting and radio Find Jason on his webiste and X Sword and Pen is a Military Veterans in Journalism production.

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 Got an idea for a podcast guest or topic? Shoot Lori an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Sword and Pen is a Military Veterans in Journalism production.

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 Find James LaPorta on his ⁠website⁠ | ⁠X⁠ Got an idea for a podcast guest or topic? Shoot Lori an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Sword and Pen is a Military Veterans in Journalism production.

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 The Journalism Toolbox.ai⁠ | Mike On X @itsmikereilley Got an idea for a podcast guest or topic? Shoot Lori an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠  Sword and Pen is a Military Veterans in Journalism production.