Peter Mackler
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Peter Mackler (1949–2008) was an American journalist who was associated with Agence France-Presse (AFP) and instrumental in developing the AFP's English-language service.[1]
Peter Mackler Award for Courageous and Ethical Journalism is named after him.[2]
Biography
[edit]Born on August 22, 1949, in Brooklyn to a Jewish family, Mackler earned a degree in psychology and initially worked as a child psychologist before shifting to journalism at United Press International in 1973.[1] He joined AFP in the U.S. in September 1979 and later relocated to the agency's editing desk in Hong Kong in 1982.[1] He served as bureau chief in Sydney and Singapore.[1] His work in Asia helped expand the influence of AFP's English dispatches.[1] During the 1991 Gulf War, colleagues informally referred to him as "General Mackler" for his organizational skill in securing early access for AFP correspondents in Kuwait City.[1]
Mackler subsequently worked in Brussels and became chief editor in Washington in 1994, later serving as deputy regional director.[1] He was appointed senior reporter based in Paris to cover terrorism, reporting on events such as the September 11 attack and the subsequent war in Afghanistan.[1] In 2004, he returned to Washington to cover the State Department and was named chief editor for North America in 2006.[1]
In 2004, Mackler founded the Global Media Forum, an organization that develops training programs for journalists in developing countries.[1] In 2007, he worked with the AFP Foundation on a United Nations-backed training project for journalists in Lebanon.[1]