Free Online Journalism Courses for Military Veterans

Krissa Lox

Active Member
Not specifically Christian or gaming related, but there might be some in our community considering new life directions after military service and/or desiring to improve the national media landscape, so I thought it might be worthwhile to post here:

MVJ has secured more than $20,000 in Poynter Institute online courses for members to take for free:
https://www.mvj.network/military-vets-apply-to-take-online-poynter-journalism-classes/

About Military Veterans in Journalism
(according to their website at mvj.network)

Military Veterans in Journalism is a professional association that builds community for vets, supports their career growth, and advocates for diversifying newsrooms through hiring and promoting more vets.

Military Veterans in Journalism’s mission is simple: get more military veterans working in America’s newsrooms.

The United States has been at war for more than 18 years at a cost of more than 7,000 lives, about 50,000 wounded and billions in tax dollars. Yet military veterans are vastly underrepresented in our nation’s newsrooms.

While about 7 percent of Americans have served in the armed forces, only 2 percent of media workers are military veterans, according to U.S. Census data.

Veterans bring perspective, nuanced understanding and on-the-ground experience about the military and veteran affairs that ultimately benefits newsrooms and news consumers.


Mentorship

We connect military vets with seasoned journalists who guide the former service members on their desired career path. Mentors are critical to opening doors and leading to new opportunities in the media field.


Internships and Fellowships

We partner with media outlets like NPR to create opportunities for military veterans just getting started in the media field. Building a portfolio and a network of allies gets our veteran members set up for success as they navigate their careers in the news industry.

Career Development Events


We organize unique opportunities for veterans from across the country to learn skills from professional journalists, build relationships with human resources professionals who hire journalists, and visit media outlets.

Advocating for Vets

We educate newsrooms, journalism schools, and non-profit organizations focusing on journalism about the need to increase diversity through higher veteran representation. Veterans bring diverse vantage points and experiences, nuanced understanding of military and veteran life, and valuable skills to newsrooms.

More info and application at:
https://www.mvj.network/military-vets-apply-to-take-online-poynter-journalism-classes/
 
An additional opportunity from this group has been posted offering paid fellowship programs:

MVJ is hosting seven paid fellowships lasting about six months each at the newsroom of your choice!


Four of the fellowships are funded thanks to generous support from the Knight Foundation, two of the fellowships are possible thanks to the generous support of Craig Newmark Philanthropies and the one fellowship is thanks to the generous support of the Wyncote Foundation.

Apply by June 11, 2021

  • The money: Fellows will be compensated roughly $2,500 per month and will be responsible for their own relocation and living expenses if applicable.
  • The outlet: MVJ wants to maximize the impact for you and your career. We have about 15 outlets who already know that they want fellows but we will work with the selected fellows to help place you in the newsroom of your choice (no guarantees).
  • The work: We will work with you and the outlet to develop a work plan and objectives so your time is worthwhile. We want you to leave this fellowship with a strong portfolio, some great connections, and strong prospects for a future full-time job.
  • Timing: We plan to have you start your fellowship in Fall 2021. Fellowships have the potential to renew for a longer period depending on where you choose to work. For example, six months may be the most we can offer in New York City, but we may be able to squeeze out eight months if you’re in Wyoming. We want you to be able to do your fellowship in person (not remotely) to maximize impact, so we may delay the start date to make that possible.
  • Additional courses: MVJ will provide additional training made possible through the Poynter Institute to several of the fellows, depending on the journalism discipline they are pursuing.
  • The judges: A committee of established journalists, including Jake Tapper and Michael McCoy, will review all candidates and make their selections by the end of the summer. Fellows should expect to begin work next fall.

This is an awesome opportunity for those of you who are emerging journalists or career switchers. A fellowship will offer the opportunity to explore the field of journalism at a publication while making connections, landing bylines and creating a name for yourself.


https://www.mvj.network/fellowships/

...

If you're a non-veteran looking for new career opportunities and/or wanting to get involved in improving informative media coverage, you might find the Institute for Non-Profit News (of which Military Veterans in Journalism is a member) of interest.

Description from their site: "INN Strengthens and supports more than 250 independent news organizations in a new kind of media network: nonprofit, nonpartisan, and dedicated to public service."

INN Homepage: https://inn.org/

Guide for Starting a Nonprofit News Organization: https://learn.inn.org/startup-introduction/
 
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