2025 MRE Conference is November 7, at the Medill School Of Journalism DC offices
Military Reporters and Editors will host its annual conference Friday, Nov. 7 at the Medill School of Journalism headquarters inside the Washington Post Building, 1301 K Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.
This year’s schedule includes the current Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Olha Stefanishyna, former longtime CNN Pentagon Reporter Barbara Starr, NPR Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman and former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. Our panel will include a discussion of press freedom under the new Pentagon restrictions; Efforts to stop the deportation of Afghans who worked with U.S. military: A foreign correspondent roundtable; and an off the record conversation with top military public affairs officers.
This has been a challenging time for journalists covering the military and the Pentagon. We don’t want to be the story but an underlying theme of the conference will be a discussion of efforts to chip away at the First Amendment Rights of journalists and the impact on the public’s right to know.
MRE is a group of journalists from Washington, DC and around the country who cover the military and veteran community. The conference is a single day, beginning at 8:30 am. with coffee and ending with a mixer at 5 pm. The price is $25 for members and $75 for non-members. The conference is open to journalists, military, academics, industry professionals and retirees. The price includes a continental breakfast and box lunch. There is also a dinner at the National Press Club, which requires a separate fee of $45.
Hope to see you there.
MRE Board of Directors
Nov. 7, 2025 MRE Conference Schedule
Other Panels and Guests
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8:30 am Coffee
9am-9:10 intro from our President Jen Judson
9:10am-9:55am
Press freedom post Pentagon walk out
Tom Bowman, Pentagon Correspondent NPR
Tony Capaccio, Pentagon Correspondent Bloomberg News
Aaron Mehta is editor in chief of Breaking Defense
Mallory Shelbourne, Pentagon Correspondent USNI News
10 am -10:45a(Off the record discussion)
Military PAO Panel
Brig. Gen. Allen Herritage – Air Force
Captain Tam Lawrence – Navy
Col. John Caldwell – Marine Corps
LCDR Steve Roth – Coast Guard
10:50am-11:35am
Afghans who worked with U.S. face an increasingly uncertain future
Shawn VanDiver is the founder and President of #AfghanEvac.
Hadeia Amiry is with the Center for a New American Security and former Afghan diplomat
Zia Ghafoori is a former interpreter for U.S. Special Forces and founder of Interpreting Freedom Foundation.
11:45-12:30
The way forward for Ukraine, the U.S. and their NATO allies
Current Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States. Olha Stefanishyna
12:30
Lunch
1:05-1:50pm
Reporting overseas amidst authoritarian regimes
Jason Rezaian – The Washington Post
Fadi Mansour- Al Jazeera
Pete Cobus – VOA
2 pm-2:45p
Former Air Force Secretaries discuss the current challenges of U.S. military
Frank Kendall was Air Force Secretary from July 2021–January 2025
F.Whitten-Peters is the former Secretary of the Air Force from 1997 to 1999 and Deputy General Counsel of DoD
3 pm-3:45p
A conversation with Barbara Starr
Starr is an outspoken advocate for press freedom. She was CNN Pentagon correspondent for 21 years and is now a senior fellow at the USC Center on Communication Leadership and Policy.
4 pm to 4:45 pm
A reporters guide to untangling the Freedom Of Information Act
Geoff Ziezulewicz, Axios
Nate Jones, FOIA director – The Washington Post
5 pm
Awards
5:30
Mixer
7pm
Dinner at Press Club