Two top BBC executives — Director General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness — have resigned following a major controversy over how the broadcaster edited a speech by US President Donald Trump.
The issue came to light after The Daily Telegraph published a report claiming the BBC’s flagship show, Panorama, had misleadingly edited Trump’s words in a documentary titled “Trump: A Second Chance?” The documentary aired just before the US elections last year.
According to a leaked internal memo, the BBC edited together two separate clips from Trump’s speech, given about 50 minutes apart, to make it seem as though he had urged his supporters to march on the Capitol and “fight like hell.”
In reality, the unedited clip showed Trump saying, “and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”
Internal Memo Sparks Outrage
The controversy began with a memo written by Michael Prescott, an independent adviser to the BBC’s editorial standards committee. He raised concerns about bias and lack of impartiality within the organisation. Prescott accused the BBC of avoiding stories on sensitive topics like transgender rights and noted that BBC Arabic had featured a journalist who made antisemitic remarks.
The leaked memo sparked strong reactions in both the UK and the US. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused the BBC of being “purposefully dishonest” about its portrayal of the Capitol riot.
US President Donald Trump also weighed in, calling BBC journalists “corrupt” and saying, “These are very dishonest people who tried to step on the scales of a Presidential Election.”
UK Government Reacts
The controversy soon drew the attention of UK Culture, Media and Sport Minister Lisa Nandy, who called the allegations “incredibly serious.” She added, “There are a series of very serious allegations made, the most serious of which is that there is systemic bias in the way that difficult issues are reported at the BBC.”
Nandy said she was concerned about inconsistencies in editorial standards, particularly on issues like Israel-Gaza, transgender topics, and Trump’s coverage.
BBC Faces Mounting Scrutiny
While announcing his resignation, Tim Davie said on the BBC website: “Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable. While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision. Overall, the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made, and as director-general I have to take ultimate responsibility.”
After Davie and Turness resigned, Leavitt posted a screenshot of the BBC’s resignation announcement on X, appearing to celebrate the news.
BBC’s Recent Troubles
This isn’t the BBC’s first controversy. Earlier this year, it apologised for “serious flaws” in a documentary called “Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone.” In October, it accepted a sanction from the UK media regulator for airing a “materially misleading” programme.
With its reputation for impartial journalism now under question, the BBC faces increasing pressure to restore public trust and ensure transparency in its editorial practices.
