TV anchors reporting on the tragedies of war do so with professionalism, however devastating the news may be. But sometimes a story is so moving that it can be hard for even the most professional of journalists to remain composed.
CNN anchor Kate Bolduan struggled to hold back tears Thursday while reporting an update on Omran Daqeesh, a 5-year-old boy who was filmed and photographed moments after being pulled from his destroyed home in the aftermath of an airstrike on Aleppo, northern Syria.
“According to activists, this is Omran,” Bolduan says in the video below, as the image of the boy in the ambulance that made headlines around the world is displayed on screen. He looks bloodied, confused and is covered with dust.
Bolduan takes a long pause in an attempt to regain her composure before continuing.
“He lives with his mom, his dad and his brother and sister. Their home is inside Aleppo, Syria,” she says, still fighting back tears. “It was hit by a bomb. An airstrike. Who’s behind it? We don’t know. He and his family were pulled alive from what’s left of their home after being buried in the rubble.”
After rolling footage of the boy’s rescue, Bolduan reveals that the Daqeesh family survived the bombing, but that more than 250,000 people have been killed since the start of Syria’s civil war in 2011.
Then, the anchor appears to stop holding back her emotions.
“What strikes me is we shed tears, but there are no tears here. He doesn’t cry once. That little boy is in total shock. He’s stunned,” Bolduan says, voice wavering. “He’s inside his home one moment and the next he’s lost in the fury of war and chaos.”
She ends the report by delivering a simple message.
“This is Omran. He’s alive. We wanted you to know.”
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