BBC chair Samir Shah has issued a formal apology to MPs following a major controversy surrounding the editing of a speech by former US President Donald Trump on the broadcaster's flagship Panorama programme.
Leadership Fallout and Legal Threats
The fallout from the editing incident has been severe, resulting in the departure of two of the BBC's most senior figures. Both BBC director-general Tim Davie and BBC News chief executive Deborah Turness have stepped down from their roles following significant backlash.
The corporation is also understood to be facing legal action from Donald Trump himself, who has threatened to sue over the editing together of two pieces of video from his speech on 6 January 2021.
The Controversial Edit and Leaked Memo
In his detailed four-page letter to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Mr Shah stated that following deliberation, the board accepts that the way Mr Trump's speech was edited did give the impression of a "direct call for violent action". He described this as an "error of judgement".
The controversy intensified when a memo from Michael Prescott, a former independent adviser to the BBC's Editorial Guidelines and Standards Board, was leaked to The Daily Telegraph. While the original Panorama programme received no complaints, Mr Shah confirmed that over 500 complaints had been received following the memo's publication.
Mr Prescott's memo detailed what he called "worrying systemic issues with the BBC's coverage", discussing not only the Trump incident but also coverage of trans issues and the war in Gaza. He specifically mentioned Ms Turness and deputy director of BBC News Jonathan Munro, describing them as "defensive".
BBC's Response and Action Plan
Mr Shah pushed back against suggestions that the BBC had attempted to bury problematic stories, calling this interpretation "simply not true". He urged for perspective, highlighting the "thousands of hours of outstanding journalism" the BBC produces annually.
The BBC chair outlined several leadership changes across BBC Arabic, World Service and BBC News teams that he said would help address the issues raised. He committed to three specific actions:
- The board will revisit each item in Michael Prescott's note and take further action where appropriate
- Internal reviews will be repeated to check if changes made are delivering material improvements
- Amendments will be made to online stories where editorial standards were not met
Mr Shah concluded by emphasising the BBC's commitment to championing impartiality, which he described as "more necessary now than ever before" and the "sacred job of the BBC".
