LONDON: The Director General of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Tim Davie, and the corporation’s Chief Executive of News, Deborah Turness, have resigned after facing widespread criticism over alleged editorial bias including the way BBC edited a speech by US President Donald Trump.
The resignations follow a string of controversies accusing the BBC of failing to uphold political neutrality in its reporting. The allegations spanned its coverage of Trump, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and transgender issues — all of which had triggered internal and public scrutiny.
The controversy deepened after The Daily Telegraph revealed an internal document prepared by a former BBC adviser on standards, which detailed several editorial “errors.” Among them was the editing of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech, where two separate parts were merged, giving the impression that Trump had urged supporters to storm Capitol Hill.
The flagship investigative programme Panorama reportedly edited the clips in a way that appeared to show Trump encouraging violence — a move now being viewed as a serious breach of editorial integrity.
In his resignation statement, Tim Davie said: “This is entirely my decision, and I remain deeply grateful to the Chair and the Board for their unwavering support throughout my tenure, including during recent challenging days.”
Davie added that he had been reflecting on the “intense personal and professional pressures” of leading the BBC in politically charged times and wanted to give his successor enough time to shape future Charter plans.
In the disputed documentary, Trump was shown telling supporters, “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol” and “fight like hell” — remarks which were actually made at different points in his speech.
Reacting to the controversy, Trump’s Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt blasted the BBC as “100 percent fake news” and a “propaganda machine,” in comments published on Friday.
Davie will remain in his post for several months until a replacement is appointed. Sources said his resignation came as a shock to the BBC Board, which had not anticipated the sudden move.
