Mark Little (journalist)

Mark Little (born 1968) is an Irish journalist, television presenter, author and "social media visionary". He presented Prime Time for RTÉ until December 2009. He took a year of leave of absence from RTÉ to pursue a project centered on digital media and global journalism. He launched the project in April 2010, called Storyful. which he has now sold to News International

Little was born in Dublinand lived in Malahide, County Dublin, but later moved to Oughterard, County Galway. He studied Economic and Social Studies at Trinity College, Dublin for 5 years and took his BA (Ord.) degree in 1997 (late commencement). During his college career he was president of the Students’ Union for a year and a member of the Labour Party. He joined the Dublin City University Graduate Journalism programme in 1990, but later dropped out.

His first child, Sorcha, was born when Little was 21. Her mother was Maxine Brady, the then president of the Union of Students in Ireland. He is married to Tara Peterman, an American who worked with him on Prime Time, with two children, Daisy and Tommy, and lives in Dalkey, County Dublin.

Little began is career in journalism working for The Sunday Business Post. He was then hired as a TV reporter for RTÉ News and Current Affairs in 1991, after answering a newspaper advertisement. He became RTÉ's first Washington Correspondent in 1995. He remained there until 2001, before returning to Dublin to become Foreign Affairs Correspondent. His Washington post was filled by Carole Coleman. In 2001 he won TV Journalist of the Year in the ESB National Media Awards.

In his time with RTÉ, he has met such US politicians as Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. He presented the documentary programme Who’s Afraid of Islam? in 2006. He has also reported from disaster and conflict areas such as, Iraq, Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. In 2008, he presented American Dream: Dead or Alive on RTÉ One.

Little often presented RTÉ News specials such as Government budgets and elections.

In 2002, he joined RTÉ's flagship current affairs programme Prime Time, which he co-presented with Miriam O'Callaghan. In November 2009, he announced his desire to take a leave of absence from RTÉ for the period of a year. His reason was to pursue a project combining digital media and global journalism. On 17 December 2009, he presented his final Prime Time. This being a field he has experience in through his work on Twitter. On 12 April 2010, his new project, storyful.com, was launched. He developed the website along with other web journalists.

Little has written three books, two of which are on an American topic. Turn Left at Greenland and Zulu Time were published in 2002 and 2004. His third book The New America, was published in 2008.