Jeremy Bowen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeremy Bowen
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Bowen in 2012
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| Born |
Jeremy Francis John Bowen
6 February 1960 Cardiff, Wales
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| Title | International Editor of BBC News (2022–present) |
| Spouse(s) | Julia Williams |
| Children | 2 |
Jeremy Bowen (born 6 February 1960) is a well-known Welsh journalist and television presenter. He has reported on major events around the world for the BBC.
He was the BBC's main reporter in the Middle East from 1995 to 2000. Later, he became the BBC Middle East editor from 2005 to 2022. Since August 2022, he has been the International Editor for BBC News.
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About Jeremy Bowen
Jeremy Francis John Bowen was born in Cardiff, Wales, on 6 February 1960. He went to school in Cardiff. He later studied history at University College London and also attended Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC. His father, Gareth Bowen, was also a journalist for the BBC. He reported on the Aberfan disaster in 1966.
Jeremy Bowen's Career
Jeremy Bowen started working for the BBC in 1984. He has spent much of his career as a war correspondent, reporting from places where conflicts are happening. His first assignment as a war correspondent was in El Salvador in 1989. He has reported from over 70 countries, especially in the Middle East and the Balkans.
Reporting from Conflict Zones
During the Gulf War, Jeremy Bowen was in Baghdad. He saw the aftermath of the Amiriyah shelter bombing, where many civilians were killed. He reported that the victims were women, children, and older men, not soldiers. Some people unfairly criticized his reporting at the time, but he later won a legal case about it.
He also reported from Bosnia-Herzegovina during the Bosnian War. He was in Kosovo during the 1999 conflict there.
Facing Danger and Challenges
Jeremy Bowen has been in dangerous situations many times while reporting. In 2000, while covering the Israeli army's withdrawal from Lebanon, his car was hit by tank fire. His colleague and driver, Abed Takkoush, was sadly killed. Jeremy Bowen and his cameraman escaped, but this event deeply affected him.
After this, he took a break from frontline reporting. He worked as a presenter in the studio. He hosted the morning show BBC Breakfast from 2000 to 2002. He also presented documentaries like Son of God and Moses, which explored the lives of historical figures.
He returned to reporting from the field in 2003. He covered important events like the death of Pope John Paul II.
Becoming Middle East Editor
In June 2005, Jeremy Bowen became the BBC's first Middle East Editor. This new role was created to give a wider view of issues in the Middle East. It also helped to add more background to news reports from the region.
In 2005, he wrote a book called Six Days: How the 1967 War Shaped the Middle East.
In 2008, Jeremy Bowen and his cameraman again came under fire in Mount Lebanon. Luckily, no one was hurt, and the incident was filmed.
Reporting on Recent Conflicts
In 2011, Jeremy Bowen was the first British journalist to interview Muammar Gaddafi during the 2011 Libyan civil war. In 2013, while reporting on protests in Egypt, he was hit in the head by shotgun pellets. He was not seriously injured.
He was one of the few journalists reporting from inside Syria during the Syrian Civil War. In 2015, he had an exclusive interview with President Bashar al-Assad.
Since March 2022, Jeremy Bowen has also reported from Ukraine during the Russo-Ukrainian War.
In October 2023, the BBC reported on an explosion at Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City. Jeremy Bowen oversaw this coverage. The BBC later apologized for some of its initial reporting, stating that it was wrong to guess about the cause of the explosion. The cause of the explosion is still debated.
Personal Life
Jeremy Bowen lives in Camberwell, South London, with his partner, Julia Williams, who is also a BBC journalist. They have a son and a daughter. He supports Cardiff City football club. In 2019, he shared that he had received treatment for a tumour in his bowel.
Awards and Recognition
Jeremy Bowen has received many awards for his journalism throughout his career. These include:
- New York Television Festival 1995 – Best News Correspondent
- Monte Carlo International TV Festival Silver Nymph for Bosnia war coverage (1993)
- RTS Best Breaking News Report 1996 – for his coverage of the assassination of Israel's President Yitzhak Rabin
- Sony Gold award for News Story of the Year on the arrest of Saddam Hussein
- Part of the BBC teams that won a BAFTA for their Kosovo coverage
- International Emmy 2006 for BBC News coverage of the 2006 Lebanon War
- Prix Bayeux Calvados for war reporting (Gaza) (2009)
- Charles Wheeler Award for achievements in broadcast journalism (2010)
- Peace Through Media Award at the 8th annual International Media Awards (2012)
- Prix Bayeux Calvados for war reporting (Syria) (2012)
- Peabody Award for reporting Syria's war (2013)
- News and Documentary Emmy for Syria reporting (2013)
- RTS Specialist Journalist of the Year (2013)
- RTS Television Journalist of the Year (2014)
- BAFTA Cymru Siân Phillips award (2014)
- James Cameron Memorial Award (2015)
- Frontline Club Award for Yemen reporting (2015)
- RTS Interview of the Year for an interview with President Assad of Syria (2016)
- Prix Bayeux Calvados for war reporting (2016)
He has also been recognized by several universities, becoming an Honorary Fellow or Doctor at places like University College London, Cardiff University, and Aberystwyth University.
