The Director-General of the BBC, Tim Davie, announced his resignation on Sunday following a controversy over the editing of a documentary about Donald Trump. The broadcaster’s head of news, Deborah Turness, also stepped down amid the fallout.
The controversy arose from Panorama, the BBC’s flagship programme, which was accused of editing Trump’s speech from January 6, 2021, in a misleading manner. The edited clip made it appear as though Trump had instructed supporters to walk to the US Capitol and “fight like hell,” while the original footage showed him urging the audience to “walk with me” and cheer on elected officials.
Trump, reacting to the resignations, accused the BBC of bias and described its journalists as “corrupt” and “dishonest” for allegedly attempting to influence a US presidential election.
Announcing his resignation, Davie stated, “Like all public organizations, 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… I have to take ultimate responsibility.”
The controversy comes after reports that concerns over the documentary were first raised in the summer by 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,” citing systemic inconsistencies in the BBC’s editorial standards, including coverage of Israel, Gaza, and issues relating to transgender people.
The BBC has committed to providing a full response to Parliament’s culture, media, and sport committee. The broadcaster is funded by a licence fee paid by UK households watching live TV.
Earlier this year, the BBC faced scrutiny for other programmes, including a documentary about Gaza, which received a sanction from the UK media watchdog for being “materially misleading.”
