Jeremy Bowen, the renowned foreign correspondent and International Editor for the BBC, will be honoured at next month’s Society of Editors ‘Future of News’ conference with a special Fellowship Award for services to journalism.
Bowen, a former Middle East correspondent and Middle East Editor for the BBC, was appointed International Editor for BBC News in August 2022 and has reported from more than 90 countries covering conflicts in the Gulf, El Salvador, Lebanon, the West Bank, Gaza, Afghanistan, Croatia, Bosnia, Chechnya, Somalia and Rwanda as well as Iraq, Algeria and Kosovo.
While Middle East Editor for the Corporation, Bowen led the coverage of the 2011 ‘Arab Spring’ and the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon, for which BBC News was awarded an International Emmy. He has won multiple awards including first prize at the Bayeux War Correspondent Awards for a Panorama film on the Gaza War of 2009 as well as an Emmy and Peabody Award for coverage of the Syria war; the BAFTA Cymru Sian Phillips Award and many others. His latest book, The Making of the Modern Middle East: A Personal History, was a Sunday Times bestseller and a book of the year for the New Statesman and The Spectator.
Announcing the Fellowship, Sarah Whitehead, President of the Society of Editors said: “Jeremy Bowen is one of the most renowned and distinguished foreign correspondents of our time and across his 40-year career he has reported from many of the biggest conflicts around the world exposing the horrors of war and shining a light on the lives of ordinary people.
“We are delighted to recognise Jeremy’s achievements and look forward to presenting him with this award at our high-profile conference next month”.
Taking place at the Leonardo Royal Hotel in London on 25 March 2025, in partnership with Allwyn and Vodafone, the Society’s Future of News conference will see more than 200 leading editors and news executives from all sectors of the news industry come together for the Society’s annual debate on the key opportunities and challenges facing the industry.
Other new speakers added to the line-up this week include Scarlet Howes, Chief Sunday Reporter at The Sun, Toby Granville, Editorial Development Director at Newsquest and Edward Roussel, Head of Digital at The Times and The Sunday Times. They join speakers already announced including Sarah Whitehead, Director of Newsgathering at Sky News; Camilla Tominey, Associate Editor at The Daily Telegraph and co-presenter of The Daily T Podcast; Katie Hind, Consultant Editor for Showbusiness at Mail Newspapers; Oly Duff, Editor-in-Chief of the i newspaper; Debbie Ramsay, Editor of 5 News; Caroline Waterston, Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Mirror; Catalina Cortés, Acting Emergencies Director at the Committee to Protect Journalists; Carole Cadwalladr, Writer at The Guardian and The Observer; Rebecca Whittington, Online Safety Editor at Reach plc; Owen Meredith, Chief Executive at the News Media Association; John Battle, Head of Legal and Compliance at ITN; Alison Phillips, writer and visiting fellow at the Reuters Institute; Rosamund Urwin, Media Editor of The Sunday Times and Mitali Mukherjee, Acting Director of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.
Looking to next month’s high-profile event, Dawn Alford, Executive Director at the Society said: “This year’s Future of News programme is focused on offering solutions and ideas to help shape the future of journalism and we are delighted that such distinguished names from across the spectrum of our industry will be taking part.
“Aimed at editors and delegates who are agents for change, the conference remains a cornerstone event for newsroom leaders, editors, journalists, and academic thought leaders and we look forward to welcoming all on the day for what will prove to be an exciting discussion on the future of news.”
More speakers will be announced in the coming days. To book, email office@societyofeditors.org
