London, Nov 10 (AP) — The BBC is grappling with a leadership crisis and increasing political pressure following the resignations of Director-General Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness. Their departures come in the wake of a controversy over the editing of a speech by former US President Donald Trump.
Trump welcomed the resignations, accusing the BBC of attempting to influence a presidential election by manipulating his words. Allegations of bias have placed the publicly funded broadcaster under scrutiny, and BBC chairman Samir Shah is expected to issue an apology for the organization's actions.
The backlash centers around a "Panorama" documentary in which Trump's speech from January 6, 2021, was edited. This occurrence led to accusations of misleading the public. The program combined segments from different parts of the speech to create the impression that Trump incited his supporters to march and "fight like hell." This omitted his call for peaceful demonstration.
In a letter to BBC staff, Davie acknowledged mistakes, taking "ultimate responsibility" for the situation. Turness expressed concern over the damage done to the organization and cited accountability as her reason for resignation. Upon her arrival at BBC headquarters in London, she defended the integrity and impartiality of the organization's journalists.
Trump leveraged the incident to reinforce his long-standing accusation of "fake news," linking to an article critical of the BBC and thanking it for uncovering "corrupt journalists.” He condemned the editing as detrimental to democracy.
The controversy has been fueled by a dossier published by the right-leaning Daily Telegraph prepared by Michael Prescott, a consultant appointed by the BBC to review standards. The dossier criticized not only the Trump edit but also the BBC's handling of transgender issues and alleged bias in its Arabic service regarding Israel.
The BBC, a 103-year-old national institution funded through a license fee, faces unique scrutiny due to its mandate for impartiality under its charter. Criticism of its perceived biases comes from various political directions, and its governance structure includes both internal and governmental representation.
Craig Oliver, a former BBC news executive and aide to Prime Minister David Cameron, highlighted the organization's need for better crisis management and defense of its practices in an age where attacks on its credibility are frequent. He criticized the delayed response to Trump's accusations, emphasizing the importance of timely and clear communication.
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