MVJ is still accepting grant applications for reporting on disability issues in the military veteran community. Grant amounts vary depending on the story, and start at $500. Publish quality stories about military veteran disability issues and get paid for it!

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MVJ now offers Journalism Grants for quality stories about issues related to disabilities in the military veteran community.

This program helps aspiring journalists grow professionally in their reporting careers and publish quality stories about issues related to disabilities in the military veteran community. Grant amounts vary depending on the story, and start at $500. MVJ has a total budget of $50,000 for all grants under this program, so we recommend interested parties apply as soon as possible.

MVJ is not a publishing organization – nor do we plan to be. But we care about developing the careers of military vets in journalism. So, if you are selected, we can help you shape your story and assist in getting the story placed. We’d like you to have an idea of where you want to publish your story.

A few notes on what our grant selection committee is looking for:

• Disability focused. We are seeking pitches for stories related to disability in the military veteran community. Maybe it’s a story about a new healthcare issue, or a personal narrative about a visit to a crummy VA facility, or an investigative piece on an emerging medical issue that affects vets.
• Be ambitious. We are looking to support deeply reported stories that will make a splash and potentially be impactful.
• Small (shorter) stories are OK too. For serious investigative reporting, we’ll be looking for proof that you know what you’re doing. If you’re new to journalism, a shorter feature might be more realistic. 
• Be original. We aren’t interested in the same stories that we’ve all read a million times before. As veterans, we can provide depth and nuance on these stories. Use that experience to come up with unique angles.
• No PR. Non-profits do great work and they might be part of the story. But we want to see pitches that are more than a happy story about a non-profit providing a house to a homeless vet.  
• Look for trends. We’re keen to fund stories that only veterans can tell. As vets, you are seeing what’s affecting vets, especially when it comes to healthcare and the VA. Use your networks to find a good story. 

PUBLISH quality stories about disability issues in the military veteran community and get paid for it! 

Note: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed every two weeks until our funding limit is reached. Applicant has to be an MVJ member in order to be eligible to receive the grant.

Military Veterans in Journalism has launched the Military & Veteran Affairs Reporting Guide, an online portal that provides a range of resources for reporters covering military and veteran issues.

This portal provides several helpful items for journalists seeking guidance, including:

• A guide on reporting on military and veteran issues like post-traumatic stress and military sexual trauma
• A showcase of veterans working in the news media
• A directory of experts focused on military and veteran affairs
• A series of reporting tips from seasoned journalists in this space

The Military & Veteran Affairs Reporting Guide was compiled over the past year with assistance from MVJ’s community of veterans in journalism. It is a living portal that will frequently be updated with feedback from the veteran community.

Access the Military & Veteran Affairs Reporting Guide

Military Veterans in Journalism is offering free training sessions on disability reporting, including on veterans, for newsrooms across the nation.

Thanks to support from the Ford Foundation, over the past year, military veterans in the MVJ Speakers Bureau have been training with top disability beat journalists and experts at organizations like Disabled American Veterans with the goal of improving coverage on disabled veterans and the broader disabled community. Now, the participants are taking that training into newsrooms across the nation to increase awareness and understanding when journalists cover these issues.

The training sessions take roughly 60 minutes, and it’s preferred that the training be in-person, but can also be conducted via Zoom.

What will reporters learn?

• Relevant data points on disabled veterans
• Challenges and common tropes related to disabled veterans
• Intersectionality in the disabled veterans and broader disability communities – how does improving coverage of disabled veterans affect the issues in disability reporting?
• Crafting respectful narratives around disabilities – language and storytelling tips and advice

Email MVJ Operations Manager Sara Feges at [email protected] to schedule a free training session for your newsroom.