Jim Bittermann

Jim Bittermann is the Senior European Correspondent under cnn from the year 1996. He has a bachelor degree of Science that he got from the Southern Illinois University in the year 1970. He worked as a reporter of Waukegan News-Sun. He started a television career in the WTMJ-TV of Milwaukee.


He got the Journalism aluminus  of 1989 from  his university and Alumni Achievement Awards in 2000 . He married Patricia Thompson, but she died in 2010. Patricia was an American television producer who was based in Paris. She died because of cerebral Hemorrhage.  She went to Paris in 1975 and worked as a radio reporter until she become the senior producer of NBC News where she covered the revolution of Philippines and Iran, the death of Princess Diana and the negotiations of disarmament of Soviet American.  She was involved into a Stint with ABC news while in Paris and she decided to create a production company under the name The Paris Bureau. She produced documentaries and programs for the cable channels and American networks. She won two Emmy awards for the work she did in United States and Africa. She was the producer of The Amazing Race. She was the winner of Emmy Award Winning Television producer.

Jim Bittermann got many awards including Emmy for the coverage of the famine in Sudan in 1988.  He got CableACE award for the coverage of the civil war of Zaire while he was working under CNN. He was honored by the Chevalier Of the National Order of Legion of Honor because of his work. He is based in France for over 3 decades. Besides his work in the journalism, he worked like a moderator in the World Economic Forum that was held in Switzerland.  He was one of the jury of Les Lumieres De Paris which is a French film competition. He is an adjunct professor in the American University of Paris where he teaches communication courses which include documentary films with the broadcasting of the news.

Jim Bittermann’s biography reflects most on how he spent most of his time in Europe. Since 1978, he was a correspondent of NBC news and he was based in Rome. He covered the transition of two Popes and he followed the travels of Pope John Paul II.

When asked what he likes about his job, he said that every day comes with its own surprises like Princess Diana’s death or Concorde crash which shows how the lives can turn in seconds and that it can affect the victims and the people who are near them. As a reporter, he had to witness some of sad, ecstatic or moving moments. However, the one that touched him too much is about the famine in Sudan. He said that it was hard for him to have to witness people dying. Even if he got an Emmy for the coverage, he said that what was more important is that the people got help. When asked if it is the same to work in France as in US, he said that regulation, rules and laws in France are strict and the freedom of information is restricted. 

Last Modified: Apr 8, 2020


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