The Director General of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Tim Davie, has resigned following controversy over the editing of a documentary on United States President Donald Trump.
Davie stepped down alongside the broadcaster’s Head of News, Deborah Turness, after allegations that Panorama, the BBC’s flagship programme, had misleadingly edited a speech by Trump on January 6, 2021.
In a statement on the BBC website, Davie said the decision was partly influenced by ongoing debates over BBC News, and he took ultimate responsibility for the situation. “Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable,” he said.
The controversy arose after a report by the Daily Telegraph revealed that concerns about impartiality were initially raised during the summer in a memo by Michael Prescott, a former external adviser to the BBC’s Editorial Standards Committee.
UK Culture, Media and Sport Minister Lisa Nandy described the allegations as “incredibly serious” and said the BBC would provide a full response to the Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee.
The row centres on edits to Trump’s speech during the January 6 Capitol events, which appeared to show him telling supporters he would walk to the Capitol with them and “fight like hell.” The unedited version, however, shows Trump urging the crowd to “walk with me, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.” The clip was part of a documentary titled Trump: A Second Chance?, aired shortly before last year’s US election.
Nandy said the Trump edit was only one of several concerns about editorial standards at the BBC, raising questions about systemic bias in reporting sensitive issues. She cited inconsistencies in coverage on Israel, Gaza, trans issues, and Trump as evidence of wider problems within the broadcaster.
The BBC, funded by the licence fee, has previously faced scrutiny over its documentaries. Earlier this year, it apologised for serious flaws in the making of Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone, which led to sanctions after it was revealed that the child narrator was related to a former Hamas official.
AFP