Director General of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Tim Davie, has resigned following a growing controversy surrounding the editing of a documentary about former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Gatekeepers News reports that Davie, along with BBC’s head of news, Deborah Turness, stepped down after allegations emerged that the corporation’s flagship Panoramaprogramme had presented an edited version of Trump’s speech misleadingly.
Davie said in a statement published on the BBC’s website, “Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable.”
“While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision… I have to take ultimate responsibility.”
His resignation came shortly after The Sunday Telegraph leaked an internal memo that raised concerns about the documentary’s production.
Earlier in the day, the United Kingdom’s Culture, Media and Sport Minister, Lisa Nandy, described the allegations as incredibly serious. She said the issue highlighted broader questions about editorial integrity at the publicly funded broadcaster.
BBC confirmed that its chairman, Samir Shah, will appear before the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Monday to address the matter. Reports indicated that the response would likely include an apology.
The controversy centres on an edited segment of Trump’s January 6, 2021, speech that appeared to show him urging supporters to march to the U.S. Capitol and “fight like hell.” In the full version of the clip, Trump instead encouraged his audience to accompany him to “cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”
At that time, Trump was still contesting the results of the 2020 election, in which Joe Biden defeated him after a single term in office.
The disputed footage appeared in a BBC documentary titled Trump: A Second Chance?, which aired ahead of last year’s U.S. presidential election.
Nandy said the issue was part of a wider concern over BBC’s editorial consistency, adding that she was troubled by the broadcaster’s entirely inconsistent language and tone when covering sensitive topics, including reports on Israel, Gaza… trans people, or on this issue about President Trump.
