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 resigned. Davie stated his departure was 'entirely my decision,' but insiders described the mood as 'feels like a coup' by the broadcaster's enemies.
The resignations come as the BBC prepares to apologise for the way it edited a Trump speech for 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 almost an hour apart.
Michael Prescott, a former independent external adviser to the BBC's editorial guidelines and standards committee, had criticised the editing and accused the corporation of bias. His letter, passed to the Daily Telegraph, also condemned BBC Arabic for using contributors who had expressed antisemitic views. The BBC has previously said those contributors should not have been featured.
Trump's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, described the BBC as '100% fake news' and a 'propaganda machine,' while Trump posted on Truth Social that 'very dishonest people' had 'tried to step on the scales of a Presidential Election.'
In a note to staff, Davie said he had retained the 'unswerving and unanimous support' of the BBC's board and its chair, Samir Shah, but acknowledged the current debate had contributed to his decision. Shah called Davie's departure a 'sad day' for the BBC, adding that the board respected the decision and the reasons for it.
The departures come as the BBC heads into critical talks with the government over its future and funding. The hunt is now on to fill two of the biggest roles in British media.
