Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, has resigned following accusations of “serious and systemic” bias in the corporation’s coverage of issues including Donald Trump, Gaza and trans rights. Deborah Turness, the head of BBC News, has also stepped down. The departures come as the BBC prepares to apologise for its editing of a Trump speech for Panorama.
In a note to staff, Davie said his departure was “entirely my decision” and that he retained the “unswerving and unanimous support” of the BBC’s board. However, he acknowledged that the current debate around BBC News had contributed to his decision. “Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as director general I have to take ultimate responsibility,” he said.
The resignations follow a letter from Michael Prescott, a former external adviser to the BBC’s editorial guidelines committee, who criticised the editing of Trump’s speech. The Panorama edit spliced together clips from an address Trump made on 6 January 2021, suggesting he told the crowd: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol and I’ll be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell.” The words were taken from sections of his speech almost an hour apart.
Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, described the BBC as “100% fake news” and a “propaganda machine”. Trump himself posted on Truth Social that “very dishonest people” had “tried to step on the scales of a Presidential Election”. The BBC chairman, Samir Shah, said Davie’s departure was a “sad day” and that he understood the “continued pressure” on him.
Sources within BBC News described a mood of dismay at Turness’s exit. “It feels like a coup,” one said. “This is the result of a campaign by political enemies of the BBC.” The departures come as the BBC heads into critical talks with the government over its future and funding.
