Four public affairs and communications professionals who made the transition from journalism will speak at a panel in the National Press Club’s Bloomberg Room on Thursday, October 7, 2010 from 6-7:30 p.m. The former journalists will discuss how the skills they used as journalists help them in their new profession. They’ll share tips about making a transition, and explain how meeting deadlines, perfecting copy, and relentlessly checking facts are skills that are as useful on one side of a story as the other. The panelists include

• Jared Allen, Assistant Vice President, FD Public Affairs, formerly reporter, The Hill
• Keith Blackman, Blackman Media Solutions, formerly Director, Media Practice, Burson-Marsteller and White House producer, NBC News
• Mary O’Driscoll, Director, Division of Media Relations, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, formerly editor and reporter at E&E Publishing and The Energy Daily.
• Rob Doherty, Vice President, The Hatcher Group, formerly Washington bureau chief, Reuters, will serve as moderator

Members and non-members are welcome. This is a free event, but reservations are required – contact professionaldevelopment@press.org.

We hear that Rob Doherty is leaving his position as Washington Bureau Chief for ThomsonReuters. He is heading to a PR firm in Bethesda called The Hatcher Group.

ALSO: A tipster tells us that former AP DC bureau chief Sandy Johnson has applied for Doherty’s position.