Zack Baddorf

Cofounder, Military Veterans in Journalism

“Newsrooms staffed with well-trained, trustworthy journalists are an essential part of a healthy society. Academic studies have shown that military veterans are trusted messengers, and veterans who work in journalism can help build more interconnected communities while continuing their service to the American public. Military Veterans in Journalism (MVJ), a Ford grantee, has a simple mission: get more veterans into the journalism industry and newsrooms. 

According to recent MVJ research, veterans are vastly underrepresented in journalism and face a range of barriers when they try to break into the industry, so a core part of our programming is our fellowships. They can give our members a jump start in their careers while bringing a wide range of voices to communities throughout the United States. Since we started MVJ six years ago, we’ve already worked with 32 newsroom teams to place MVJ members in paid fellowships, and we want to create 100 fellowships in the next four years in newsrooms big and small. We also provide core support throughout the program to both our fellows and the newsrooms they work in.

Every year, we offer a range of different skill-building and career development events, connect members with mentors via our 200-plus member mentorship program, and provide new ways for our more than 1,100 members and the journalism industry to learn and grow. This year, with Ford’s support, we’re working in collaboration with the Disabled Journalists Association on an initiative to enhance narratives around disabled veterans and the broader disability community. Our work is helping rebuild and reshape the journalism industry, one fellow—and one veteran—at a time.”

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