The Peter Mackler Award
for Ethical and Courageous Journalism

The event planned with the Web Managers Roundtable will benefit the Peter Mackler Award for Ethical and Courageous Journalism.

Once a year, the prize rewards and supports the work of a courageous journalist working in a country where independent media is persecuted. Far from the spotlight, and often in dreadful circumstances, dedicated reporters around the world put their lives on the line so the truth is told. The PMA lands them a hand.

So far, we recognized the work and courage of Sri Lanka’s JS Tissainayagam, Russia’s Ilya Barabanov and Honduras’ Karla Rivas.

In 2008, Mr Tissainayagam was in jail accused of terrorism for his reporting on the civil war in his country. We helped get him out and pardoned. Mr. Barabanow continues to report in Russia, was briefly jailed recently but released. And Ms Rivas told us that receiving the award gave her the courage to continue speak up against abuse of power on the local community radio Radio Progresso.

The prize was created in 2008 with donations from journalists, friends and colleagues of Peter Mackler, upon his sudden passing. Mackler’s family created the award in collaboration with the press freedom organization Reporters without Borders.

Global Media Forum, a non-profit journalism group founded by Mackler, is the legal entity that manages funds for the PMA.

On its board, the Washington Post Marcus Brauchli, NewsCore’s John Moody and National Georgaphic’s Chris Liedel serve as advisors.