In a dramatic shake-up at the BBC, Director-General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness have both stepped down following widespread criticism over the broadcaster’s handling of a Donald Trump documentary.
The controversy centers on a Panorama special, “Trump: A Second Chance?”, which allegedly misrepresented the former U.S. president’s January 6, 2021 speech before the Capitol riot. Critics say the BBC spliced together separate parts of Trump’s address, omitting key lines where he called on supporters to demonstrate “peacefully and patriotically.”
An internal memo by a former editorial adviser accused the corporation of “selective editing”, sparking a political and public backlash. The BBC has since acknowledged that “serious editorial errors” were made and announced a full internal review to examine how the footage was approved for broadcast.
In his resignation statement, Tim Davie said he was “taking ultimate responsibility” for the issue, while Deborah Turness described the scandal as “deeply damaging to the BBC’s reputation for fairness.”
The incident has reignited debate over media bias and editorial standards at the taxpayer-funded broadcaster, which is legally bound to remain impartial.
Several political leaders in both the UK and the US have called for greater transparency from the BBC, as the corporation now faces its biggest editorial crisis in years.
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