The BBC's chair, Samir Shah, has apologised for an 'error of judgment' in the editing of a Panorama documentary that portrayed a speech by Donald Trump, following the resignation of two senior executives over the incident. Shah defended the corporation against claims of bias, stating that allegations it had buried stories or failed to address impartiality concerns were 'simply not true'.
In a letter to Caroline Dinenage, chair of the culture and media select committee, Shah acknowledged that the BBC had received over 500 complaints since the matter was highlighted in a critical memo by a former adviser. He wrote: 'We accept that the way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct call for violent action.'
The resignations of director-general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness followed days of criticism from the White House and right-wing commentators, prompted by a leaked memo published by the Daily Telegraph. Trump threatened legal action against the BBC, with a spokesperson saying the corporation would review the letter and respond in due course.
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey urged political leaders to defend the BBC from foreign interference, writing: 'It should be extremely concerning to us all to see the President of the United States pressuring the BBC over its leadership and attacking its journalists as corrupt.' A Downing Street spokesperson expressed support for a strong, independent BBC, adding that it was important trust was maintained and errors corrected.
Former Sun editor David Yelland described the departures as 'a coup' orchestrated from within, echoing dismay inside BBC News. Shah's letter noted that the memo from former adviser Michael Prescott was a 'partial' and 'personal' account, not reflecting the full picture of internal discussions.
