Remembering Peter Mackler: James Rosen: Peter left mark with passion, humor

Thursday, June 26, 2008

James Rosen: Peter left mark with passion, humor

Peter Mackler was a beautiful human being.

He exuded -- at all times, even under the stress of world travel and tight deadlines -- wisdom, patience, tolerance, supreme understanding of the frailties and failings of his fellow human beings, a passion for teaching, and, above all, humor. We shared the unique perspective on the world that comes with having been born in Brooklyn and together enjoyed many exciting stories and hearty chuckles in our travels with Secretary of State Rice.

I can remember showing Peter the transcript of my first interview with Secretary Rice, on a bus departing Paris in February 2005, and his alerting this newcomer to the State Department beat to the newsworthiness of a particular exchange in the transcript about nuclear diplomacy with Iran; soon, all three wire services were carrying the story and Secretary Rice, pressed about the exchange by NBC News' Andrea Mitchell during out next stop, in Brussels, hastily retreated from her remarks.

Glenn Kessler also reported on this in his excellent biography of Secretary Rice. It was, perhaps, the secretary's first rookie mistake as the United States' top diplomat, and notice of it might never have been taken had it not been for Peter's kindly and discreet counsel.

I can remember another occasion where he privately commended me for standing up to a bully during a heated conversation in a hotel bar; that was when I learned for the first time about Peter's background in psychology.

And then there is my favorite Peter Mackler story. We were talking about our shared passion for the music of the Sixties, and eventually got around to Crosby Stills & Nash. "Oh, my God," he said, rolling his eyes. "They are the reason I left the West Coast!" "What are you talking about?" I asked. He recounted a long-ago experience -- during what was, we might say with some delicacy, both for Peter and many others an age of experimentation -- when he found himself in a Bay-area crash pad with a bunch of hippies and ardent Grateful Dead fans. At the time, he told me, he didn't know all that much about the Dead; and when the assembled turned to him and asked, in a way that kind of put him on the spot, which rock group was his favorite, he replied innocently: "Well, I like Crosby Stills & Nash." In unison, the hippies all groaned, with the same contempt that a later generation of rock snobs reserved for the likes of Barry Manilow and Neil Diamond. "What?" he asked, crestfallen and unable to understand the negative reaction his answer had engendered. But the damage had been done. The vibe in the room was bad and irreversible. It was such a shattering experience, Peter told me, heightened by the effects of certain ingredients in the mix at the moment, that he came to the realization that the West Coast hippie scene was not for him and he shortly thereafter made arrangements to return to New York. "Why didn't you just tell them, I replied, "that Jerry Garcia contributed the guitar licks on 'Teach Your Children'?" "Where were you when I needed you?" he shot back.

Thereafter, we seldom saw each other without working Crosby Stills & Nash into the conversation. I am so sorry for Peter's wife and daughters, whom I never met, but I know in time the joy they took in knowing and loving their husband and father will exceed the pain and grief visited upon them by losing him far too soon.

-- James Rosen
Fox News Washington Correspondent

A NOTE FROM CATHERINE

Dear friends,

Camille, Lauren and I have been overwhelmed by messages of sympathy and testimonies from people all over the world on how Peter has touched their lives.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you. We know now that Peter succeeded at what mattered most to him, that was to touch people's lives, make a difference and help them achieve their very best as men and women.

My husband was an extraordinary man in public, as you know, but even more so in private. We shared 31 years that have been rich with love, challenges, and adventures beyond belief. We grew together into what he called "better people." Although he always thought we were never quite there yet, I know that he certainly was.

I have to continue by myself the path that he has laid out so clearly for us. Camille and Lauren, who carry so much of him inside them and take his purpose even further, will be my strength.

Thank you very much for all your support and friendship. I am deeply appreciative of all of you.

Catherine Antoine
catherine@catherineantoine.com

Peter Mackler, a pillar of AFP, dies at 58

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Peter Mackler, a veteran of Agence France-Presse who covered wars, elections and was the driving force behind transforming the agency's English language service into a global powerhouse, has died at 58.

Mackler died Friday after suffering a heart ailment at work in Washington, where he had served as AFP's chief editor for North America since 2006. His sudden death sent shockwaves throughout the agency's bureaus the world over.

"One of the agency's best journalists has died," said AFP chief executive Pierre Louette. "He was for most of us a source of inspiration, a model."

"I know he had a total passion for the agency, a desire for it to be great and remain in the top rank," Louette said. "We will miss him terribly."

Mackler, an American who spoke French fluently, joined AFP in the United States in September 1979 after starting his journalism career at a rival agency, UPI, in New York.

Over his nearly 30-year career at AFP, the indefatigable journalist played a key role in developing the multilingual agency's anglophone service from Paris to the Middle East and Hong Kong.

He was also a passionate and energetic journalist who relished the big stories.

As a reporter or editor, he wrote and oversaw stories that have defined recent history: from the Gulf War in 1991 to the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and George W. Bush's presidency.

In the past year, he steered the Washington bureau's coverage of the marathon presidential nomination race with his usual vigor and focus in the face of intense competition from rival news agencies.

But between his long hours at the office, Mackler had also dedicated his time and energy to lending his vast experience to journalists working in developing countries.

In 2004, Peter Mackler set up Global Media Forum, an international media training programme, that grew out of work he had done for underprivileged children at Duke Ellington High School in Washington.

For the last year, he had worked with the AFP Foundation, a non-profit, and had been preparing a training project for journalists in Lebanon that had been requested by the United Nations.

"Peter Mackler was a man of many parts but to his colleagues he will be chiefly remembered for three outstanding qualities: his uncompromising commitment to the highest professional standards; his deep loyalty to his friends and colleagues; and his dedication to teaching young journalists," said AFP deputy managing editor Robert Holloway.

Born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn on August 22, 1949, Mackler graduated with a degree in psychology and began working as a psychologist for children in his neighborhood before joining UPI in 1973.

After starting at AFP in the United States in 1979, Mackler moved to the agency's editing desk in Hong Kong in 1982 and went on to become the bureau chief in Sydney and Singapore.

His work in Asia helped turn AFP's English dispatches into an essential source of news for newspapers and broadcast media across the region.

In 1991, he was dubbed "General Mackler" for his sure-handed organizational skills during the Gulf War as he helped AFP correspondents arrive in Kuwait City hours before the US Army.

After working in Brussels, he had his first stint as chief editor in Washington in 1994 before becoming the bureau's deputy regional director.

He was then named senior reporter based at AFP's headquarters in Paris to cover terrorism, a job that took him back to New York to cover the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and to Pakistan for the war that followed in Afghanistan.

He returned to Washington in 2004 to cover the State Department before being named chief editor for North America two years later.

He is survived by his wife of 31 years, Catherine, and his two daughters, Camille and Lauren.