PODCAST · business
Sword and Pen
by Military Veterans in Journalism
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.
Episodes
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Anthony Dyer, Memoir Writer & Air Force Aviation Veteran
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…
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Benjamin Goldhagen, War Documentarian & Human Rights Advocate
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...
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David Kendrick, Veterans Mental Health Speaker & Writer
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...
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Chris Marvin, Veteran Storyteller & Firearm Safety Leader
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...
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Spotlight: Top Ten Veterans in Journalism of 2025
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...
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Drew F. Lawrence, Military.com Marine Corps Reporter
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…
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Grace Under Fire: Ginger Baine Miller
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...
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Sara Samora, Manufacturing Dive Reporter
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...
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Dr. Kortni Alston Lemon, The Happiness Scholar
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...
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Honoring Black History & Looking Back at 2024
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…
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2025 Podcast Kickoff with Lucy Bustamante & Zack Baddorf
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.
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Jason Burrows: KUOW Producer/Announcer
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...
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Lance Milsted | Army Broadcast Journalist
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...
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James LaPorta | Investigative Reporter
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…
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Mike Reilley: The Journalist's Toolbox
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...
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Allie Delury: Work Our Way Productions
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…
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Let's Talk: Four MVJ Convention Interviews
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...
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Let's Talk: Journalist Cyrus Norcross and the Navajo Nation
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…
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Let's talk: The MVJ Convention and Mentorship Program
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…
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180th Fighter Wing: The Public Affairs Office
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...
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Anthony Vazquez: Chicago Sun-Times Photojournalist
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...
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Caron LeNoir: Podcast Pioneer and Journalist
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…
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Riccoh Player and Frederick Marx: Filmmakers
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…
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Ben Kesling: Wall Street Journal reporter and author
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...
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Wreaths Across America Interviews: The Fab MVJ Nine
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…
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Allison P. Erickson & Tim Lenard: The Texas Tribune, The Nevada Independent
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…
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Russell Midori promotes the 2nd annual MVJ Convention
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...
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Zachary Fryer-Biggs: Military.com
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...
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Kyle Rempfer: Military Times
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...
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Extremism in the Military: A Webinar
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…
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Noelle Wiehe: Coffee or Die staff writer
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...
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Tony Mobley: Navy Vet | Freelance Photojournalist
In this episode of Sword and Pen, host Lori King checks in with Navy veteran Tony Mobley, one of the Top 10 Military Veterans in Journalism of 2020. Tony's entry, Photo Series: Black Lives Matter Protests, earned him that recognition. Tony talks about how he documented life on the biggest warship...
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Dan Lamothe: WaPo Military Beat Reporter
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...
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Roy Peter Clark: The art of writing
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...
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Davis Winkie: Army Times Reporter
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...
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Lucretia Cunningham: Medic turned MM Journalist
In this episode of Sword and Pen, host Lori King converses with MVJ member Lucretia Cunningham, a former U.S. Air Force medic who traded in her medical kit for cameras, microphones and the almighty pen. Listen as Cunningham shares her story of being an active duty medic for a decade, then doing…
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Jeff Parrott: Salt Lake Tribune
In this episode of Sword and Pen, host Drew F. Lawrence converses with Jeff Parrott, a Salt Lake Tribune political journalist, Columbia journalism school graduate and army veteran. Listen as we dive into Parrott’s take on the mental health of veterans and journalists; the importance of veterans…
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Mike Haynie: National Veterans Resource Center
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…
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Kelly Kennedy: The War Horse
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…
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U.S. Army and Afghan war veteran Thomas Brouns corresponds with Afghan translator
This special episode features a podcast recorded and produced by retired U.S. Army officer Thomas Brouns for a Military Veterans in Journalism podcast workshop. Brouns, who served 10 rotations in Afghanistan, shares his correspondence with Mohammad, one of five Afghan translators he supported in...
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Sword and Pen's Season 3 debuts with new co-hosts
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…
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Dave Bruce Shares Unique Journey from Federal Law Enforcement to Journalism
In this episode, Dave Bruce shares his journey from Federal Air Marshal to journalist. He compares the two careers and discusses important parallels. Dave is a former Army medic and served with the 82nd Airborne Division prior to becoming a federal law enforcement officer.
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Former Washington Post Editor Marty Baron Shares Thoughts on Veterans in Journalism
Sword and Pen is joined by the former Washington Post Executive Editor, Marty Baron, who shares his thoughts on veterans in journalism. Marty also was the Executive Editor of the Boston Globe when it broke the famous Spotlight stories on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, and he was portrayed…
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Jasper Lo shares his journey of curiosity from Army officer to fact checker at the New Yorker
In this episode, Jasper Lo shares his journey from U.S. Army officer to becoming a fact checker at The New Yorker. He discusses the stories that propelled him into the field of journalism, and the lessons he wishes to share with other veterans heading down the same path. Sword and Pen is a...
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Coffee or Die Executive Editor and former Army Ranger Marty Skovlund talks journalism and transitioning.
Coffee or Die Executive Editor and former Army Ranger Marty Skovlund joins the program to discuss where military veterans fit in the journalism space. Sword and Pen is a production of Military Veteran in Journalism, a professional association that builds community for vets, supports their career...
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U.S. Navy Veteran Clyde Gunter Details His Journey From U.S. Naval Ship to ESPN
The Sword & Pen Podcast is back! Season two, episode one is out today and we had the pleasure of interviewing Clyde Gunter for our season premier. Clyde is a member of the MVJ volunteer team and a Production Assistant at ESPN. He had some great things to say about how service members can…
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Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist Patrick Farrell gives tips on "finding the light."
“Find your light, compose the shot, and wait for a moment.” -Patrick Farrell Welcome to Sword and Pen, a podcast about journalism, military veterans, and military veterans in journalism. In this episode we welcome Patrick Farrell, a photojournalist who won a Pulitzer Prize while at the Miami...
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Marine Corps veteran and CBS News journalist Russell Midori reflects on service at home and abroad.
“Get yourself a camera and go to Iraq.” -Chris Hondros Welcome to Sword and Pen, a podcast about journalism, military veterans, and military veterans in journalism. In this episode we welcome Russell Midori, a Marine Corps veteran and staff journalist for CBS News network. Russell is also an...
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Emmy winning journalism professor, June Cross of Columbia University, talks about how journalism is a "calling."
"Don't do it unless there is nothing else you could possible spend your life doing... because journalism is a calling and a commitment." -June Cross Welcome to Sword and Pen, a podcast about journalism, military veterans, and military veterans in journalism. In this episode we welcome June Cross…
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Dr. Mary Anne Taylor, a professor of rhetoric at Emerson College, talks about tropes and narratives.
"I think the way people use something like PTSD to tell stories- they draw from tropes and those tropes make assumptions of how people experience PTSD that can be very positive to help shed light on something or can be very negative in that your spreading some assumptions as a generalization that...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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.
HOSTED BY
Military Veterans in Journalism
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Sword and Pen have?
Sword and Pen currently has 54 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Sword and Pen about?
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.
How often does Sword and Pen release new episodes?
Sword and Pen has 54 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Sword and Pen?
You can listen to Sword and Pen on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Sword and Pen?
Sword and Pen is created and hosted by Military Veterans in Journalism.
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