61. Transparency in Journalism with James LaPorta

In this episode, Brock speaks with James LaPorta. James is former Marine Corps infantry turned investigative reporter having gone on to be a contributor and work at many prestigious news organizations such as The Daily Beast, Newsweek, and the Associated Press. James talks about why journalism is such a difficult life especially in the early days, how he approaches story selection, and gives some advice on the most important skill in journalism, and maybe even life, how to listen better. We also talk about his extensive backlog of information collected from the Freedom of Information Act request, why command climate surveys in the military might be bullshit, and what's next for him after an unexpected departure from the AP.

Episode Resources:

James on Twitter

James on Facebook

Notes:

(01:34) - How to hold better interviews
(04:06) - What James is most proud of - FOIA requests/data
(10:41) - A Yelp review for the Marine Corps
(13:39) - Different jobs within the Corps
(18:43) - Learnings about people and reporting on vet suicide
(32:39) - Journalism debut at Newsweek
(36:39) - Advice for the younger James LaPorta
(46:44) - Reporting on contentious stories, deciding what stories to cover
(52:41) - Time, love, and fallout at Associated Press
(01:00:03) - How do we ask better questions
(01:06:36) - Reaching out to James

The Scuttlebutt Podcast - The podcast for service members and veterans building a life outside the military.

The Scuttlebutt Podcast features discussions on lifestyle, careers, business, and resources for service members. Show host, Brock Briggs, talks with a special guest from the community committed to helping military members build a successful life, inside and outside the service.

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