BBC Director General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness have resigned following criticism that a Panorama documentary misled its viewers by editing a speech by President Donald Trump. Davie had been facing increasing pressure due to controversies and accusations of bias.
The Telegraph published details of a leaked internal BBC memo on Monday that suggested the Panorama program edited two parts of the President Trump’s speech together so he appeared to explicitly encourage the Capitol Hill riot of January 2021.
In Trump’s speech at Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021, he said: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”
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However, in the Panorama edit, he was shown saying: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.” The two sections stitched together were originally 50 minutes apart.
Davie announced the move on Sunday, saying “Like all public organizations, 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.”
Turness said in a statement that the Panorama controversy had “reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC,” adding: “The buck stops with me.”
“In public life leaders need to be fully accountable, and that is why I am stepping down. While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear that recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong,” Turness said. Turness has been CEO of News and Current Affairs for the past three years.
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Trump said in a Truth Social post, “The TOP people in the BBC, including TIM DAVIE, the BOSS, are all quitting/FIRED, because they were caught ‘doctoring’ my very good (PERFECT!) speech of January 6th.” He thanked the Telegraph for its reporting and added: “On top of everything else, they are from a Foreign Country, one that many consider our Number One Ally. What a terrible thing for Democracy!”
While House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who accused the BBC in the Telegraph on Friday of being “purposefully dishonest,” shared on X Sunday screenshots of both her reported remarks and Davie’s resignation with the comment: “Shot: … Chaser.”
BBC chairman Samir Shah is expected to give a written statement to a parliamentary committee on Monday. Shah commented on the resignations, saying it was a “sad day for the BBC” and that Davie “had the full support of me and the [BBC] board throughout” his tenure.
“However, I understand the continued pressure on him, personally and professionally, which has led him to take this decision today. The whole board respects the decision and the reasons for it,” Shah added.