Culture Secretary Stands By BBC Leadership
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has declared her continued confidence in the BBC's leadership despite growing controversy surrounding an edited Donald Trump speech broadcast on Panorama. The cabinet minister confirmed she has spoken with BBC chair Samir Shah about the criticised edit of the former US president's January 6th 2021 address.
Panorama Edit Sparks Widespread Criticism
The controversial edit, aired just one week before the US election, spliced together sections of Trump's speech that were originally delivered nearly an hour apart. The compilation created the impression that Trump told supporters: "We're going to walk down to the Capitol and I'll be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell." This editing decision has drawn sharp criticism from Trump's press secretary, who labelled the BBC "100% fake news" and a "propaganda machine".
Nandy addressed the issue during an appearance on BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, stating: "I have complete confidence that both Samir Shah, the chair of the BBC, and Tim Davie are treating this with the seriousness that this demands." She emphasised the need to see the BBC's formal response to the Commons culture, media and sport select committee, which has requested answers about the edit and other allegations.
Broader Allegations of Systemic Bias
The Trump speech controversy forms part of broader concerns raised in a letter by Michael Prescott, a former independent external adviser to the BBC's editorial guidelines and standards committee. Prescott's letter, obtained by the Daily Telegraph, also accused the corporation of bias in its coverage of Gaza and trans rights issues, while criticising BBC Arabic for featuring contributors who had expressed antisemitic views.
Nandy described these as "very serious allegations", particularly the claim of "systemic bias in the way that difficult issues are reported at the BBC". However, she maintained that Shah was addressing the matter with appropriate seriousness.
The culture secretary also highlighted the challenging media environment facing the BBC, noting: "Increasingly, they're operating in a news media environment where news and fact is often blurred with polemic and opinion, and I think that is creating a very, very dangerous environment in this country where people can't trust what they see."
Meanwhile, internal BBC sources express concern that the Prescott criticisms are being weaponised by political opponents to destabilise the corporation and shift its reporting to the right during crucial negotiations with the government about its future. Some point to efforts dating back to Boris Johnson's government to influence the BBC politically, with particular attention on BBC board member Robbie Gibb, who reportedly pushed for Prescott's appointment and previously helped establish rightwing broadcaster GB News.
Shah is expected to formally apologise for the Trump edit tomorrow, while the BBC maintains that Prescott's appointment followed proper procedures, stating: "[The editorial adviser roles] were advertised externally as part of the BBC's open and fair competition process."
