Jeremy Bowen Did Not Fake Reporting From the Frontline
The Claim
BBC’s reporter Jeremy Bowen was pretending to be reporting from the frontline of war when a civilian woman appeared in the footage.
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Social media users have circulated an image featuring the BBC reporter Jeremy Bowen and claimed that he faked being on the frontline while covering the Russian war on Ukraine. “BBC's Jeremy Bowen pretends to be on the frontline, whilst a woman looks on, seemingly bemused,” a Twitter user wrote.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar has investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. The image does not show Jeremy Bowen fake reporting from the frontline during the Russian war on Ukraine.
Jeremy Bowen Was Reporting From a War Zone
The image is not recent and was already attached to an article by Jeremy Bowen for The Times published in March 2022. The article was entitled: “In my 38 years at the BBC, it’s been rare to witness events that can change history — this is one.”
The image has a caption that reads: “Jeremy Bowen takes cover in Irpin as the town comes under attack.”
However, the image is a screenshot from a piece to camera where Jeremy Bowen was reporting on families killed while trying to flee the Russian onslaught. The footage is part of a 3:45 minute report uploaded to the BBC YouTube channel in March 2022.
The report features people carrying injured and wounded civilians under loud sounds of the shelling. The reporter appeared leaning on the ground wearing a helmet and a press vest and said: “There is a fair amount of incoming fire coming into this now. Artillery. Fire. There are loads of civilians around. Families coming out.” He stopped and looked at the lady walking in the background and resumed: “There is a lady there with her dog following on. This is the age of the town that the Russians have got to.”
The report mentioned that civilians were on the frontline under the firing and featured images of horrific scenes of casualties and wounded civilians.
The Claim Was Rejected by Jeremy Bowen
In a Tweet, Jeremy Bowen denied the claim, saying, "The allegations are utterly false." You are free to insult me. Don't belittle the thousands of civilians fleeing Russian shelling and war crimes who have crossed the Irpin bridge into Kyiv."
Civilians Were on the Frontlines
The article featuring the image of the BBC reporter explains that he was filming and interviewing civilians as they came out of Irpin when firing came from the Russian side. Jeremy Bowen found himself lying on the ground, which the footage confirms.
“Some of Kiev's commuter towns to the northwest, such as Irpin, Hostomel and Bucha, are war zones. Missiles have destroyed blocks of flats in the suburbs,” Bowen wrote. “Every attack is a tragedy for those caught up in it, even if they escape in one piece. But everyone in this city knows that, so far, they have gotten off lightly compared with Mariupol, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and many other smaller towns,” he added.
Other media outlets have reported stories about civilians who were living near the front lines of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
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