Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, and Deborah Turness, the head of BBC News, have resigned following accusations of “serious and systemic” bias in the corporation’s coverage of issues including Donald Trump, Gaza and trans rights. The resignations come as the BBC prepares to apologise for the way it edited a Trump speech for Panorama.
In an announcement that shocked the corporation, Davie said his departure was “entirely my decision”. He stated that while he retained the “unswerving and unanimous support” of the BBC’s board, the current debate around BBC News had contributed to his decision. “There have been some mistakes made and as director general I have to take ultimate responsibility,” he said.
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 resignations come as the BBC heads into critical talks with the government over its future and funding.
The controversy stems from a letter by Michael Prescott, a former independent external adviser to the BBC’s editorial guidelines committee, which criticised the editing of Trump’s speech in Panorama. The 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 Prescott letter also condemned BBC Arabic for using contributors who had expressed antisemitic views.
BBC chairman Samir Shah said Davie’s departure was a “sad day” for the BBC, adding: “He has had the full support of me and the board throughout. However, I understand the continued pressure on him, personally and professionally, which has led him to take this decision today.”
