Peter Mackler

Peter Mackler (August 22, 1949 – June 20, 2008) was an American journalist. He worked for Agence France-Presse (AFP) for almost thirty years, was instrumental in developing the AFP's English-language service, and at the time of death was the chief editor for North America.

Early life and education Mackler grew up in Flatbush in a Jewish family. He attended Midwood High School, and then Brooklyn College, where he took psychology and graduated in 1971.

Journalism training programs

In 1999, Mackler set up a journalism course called Project Plato at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington. He pitched it as a way of teaching what he called "life skills" – writing clearly, reading well, doing your own research – to high school students whether or not they ended up becoming reporters. He was survived by his wife of 31 years, Catherine Antoine (then a senior editor at Radio Free Asia Online), and two daughters, Camille and Lauren. The 2009 prize went to the jailed Sri Lankan journalist J. S. Tissainayagam. Later winners came from Russia, Italy, Honduras, Kazakhstan, Sudan, Pakistan, Syria, Burundi, Mexico and Montenegro. In total, it was given twelve times, ending in 2020 with the Kashmiri photojournalist Masrat Zahra.