Francesca Gillett and Helen BushbyBBC reporters
Getty PhotographsThe BBC is within the midst of a disaster after its director basic and head of reports resigned, and US President Donald Trump threatened it with a $1bn (£760m) lawsuit.
It has been below fireplace after criticism that an episode of the Panorama documentary TV collection misled viewers when it edited a speech by Trump, making it appear like he was explicitly urging individuals to assault the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.
BBC chairman Samir Shah has apologised for that “error of judgement”. Trump has demanded a retraction, an apology and compensation.
Considerations over the Trump documentary emerged when a leaked inside memo was published by the Telegraph newspaper. Amongst different issues, the doc additionally criticised the BBC’s reporting of trans points, and BBC Arabic’s protection of the Israel-Gaza battle.
What was within the Trump documentary?
The Panorama documentary in query, referred to as Trump: A Second Probability?, was broadcast on 28 October 2024, simply days earlier than the US presidential election.
In November 2025, the Telegraph newspaper published a report, saying it had seen a leaked BBC memo written by Michael Prescott, a former impartial exterior adviser to the company’s editorial requirements committee.
The memo instructed that the one-hour documentary had edited components of Trump’s speech collectively, so he appeared to explicitly encourage the Capitol Hill riot of January 2021.
In his speech in Washington DC on 6 January 2021, Trump mentioned: “We will stroll right down to the Capitol, and we’ll cheer on our courageous senators and congressmen and girls.”
Nonetheless, within the Panorama edit he was proven saying: “We will stroll right down to the Capitol… and I will be there with you. And we struggle. We struggle like hell.”
The 2 sections of the speech that have been edited collectively have been greater than 50 minutes aside.
The “struggle like hell” remark was taken from a piece the place Trump mentioned how “corrupt” US elections have been. In complete, he used the phrases “struggle” or “combating” 20 instances.
Mr Prescott’s memo mentioned Panorama’s “distortion of the day’s occasions” would depart viewers asking: “Why ought to the BBC be trusted, and the place will this all finish?”
When the difficulty was raised with managers, the memo continued, they “refused to simply accept there had been a breach of requirements”.
In a letter dated 10 November to Dame Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Home of Commons’ Tradition, Media and Sports activities Committee, Samir Shah mentioned the BBC has acquired greater than 500 complaints because the Telegraph’s story was revealed.
“It has additionally prompted additional reflection from the BBC,” he mentioned.
“The conclusion of that deliberation is that we settle for that the best way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct name for violent motion. The BBC wish to apologise for that error of judgement.”
What has Trump mentioned?
After BBC director basic Tim Davie and head of reports Deborah Turness resigned, the US president mentioned high individuals within the BBC have been quitting or being fired “as a result of they have been caught ‘doctoring’ my excellent (PERFECT!) speech of January sixth”.
Trump’s attorneys subsequently despatched a letter to the BBC threatening authorized motion, and the president went on to inform Fox Information that he felt he had “an obligation” to sue the company.
The letter from Trump’s attorneys to the BBC demanded that it instantly retract the documentary, concern an apology, and compensate him.
The BBC was given a deadline to reply of Friday, 14 November, at 22:00 GMT. The letter added that if the BBC didn’t comply, the president would possibly file authorized motion “for at least $1bn in damages”.
The BBC has mentioned it’ll reply sooner or later.
What are Trump’s authorized choices?
Trump has signalled an intention to carry any eventual litigation within the US state of Florida, the place he has authorized residency, slightly than within the UK.
There may be usually extra “respect for freedom of expression within the US” courts, authorized skilled Joshua Rozenberg instructed BBC Radio 4. Somebody in Trump’s place would usually have to indicate “that the particular person you are accusing acted with malice”, he mentioned.
The president would even have to indicate that he has suffered some main loss from the programme.
“So there are positively restrictions on with the ability to sue, and arguments that may be put [by the BBC],” Mr Rozenberg mentioned. “However I feel it is value what occurs in the actual world.”
Chris Ruddy, founder and chief govt of conservative US media outlet Newsmax Media, and an ally of Trump, mentioned he was very accustomed to Florida’s libel legal guidelines and is “very assured” that the BBC would win if it does attain court docket.
“They’d prevail as a result of the state of Florida has fairly robust libel legal guidelines that defend media corporations and free speech,” he mentioned. “What’s occurring is that numerous media corporations would like to not undergo the media spectacle of all this.”
When confronted with authorized threats from Trump, different US information organisations have chosen to settle – paying out tens of millions earlier than a case reaches court docket.
As a part of his case, Trump would even have to indicate that the related a part of the Panorama programme was really out there to view in Florida.
The president’s lawyer has mentioned the “fabricated statements that have been aired by the BBC have been extensively disseminated all through varied digital mediums, which have reached tens of tens of millions of individuals worldwide”.
The story has been extensively reported, and the related clip of Panorama has been out there on-line in current days throughout the protection, however there isn’t any proof up to now to counsel that the documentary itself has been proven within the US.
What else was within the leaked inside memo?
Mr Prescott raised considerations about a number of different parts of the BBC’s information output.
He claimed its reporting of trans points was successfully “censored” by its specialist LGBT reporters, who promoted a pro-trans agenda.
“I used to be instructed that point and time once more the LGBTQ desk staffers would decline to cowl any story elevating troublesome questions concerning the trans-debate,” the memo mentioned.
And he pointed to issues with BBC Arabic’s protection of the Israel-Gaza battle, together with a declare that the service’s “story therapy was designed to minimise Israeli struggling and paint Israel because the aggressor”.
Different “troubling issues” have been raised:
- Mr Prescott mentioned the BBC’s protection of the 2024 US election was extra essential of Trump than of his opponent, Kamala Harris
- He mentioned the BBC revealed “ill-researched materials that instructed problems with racism when there have been none”, together with in a now-removed BBC Confirm story about automotive insurance coverage
- There was a “choice bias” towards sending tales about migration and asylum seekers to BBC Information app customers as push notifications
- His different criticisms embody misrepresenting the proportion of Palestinian ladies and kids who’ve been killed by Israel’s army in Gaza, and misrepresenting the probability of youngsters ravenous below Israel’s assist blockade
Shah mentioned motion has been taken to deal with “underlying issues” at BBC Arabic.
He additionally mentioned it was “merely not true” the memo had uncovered points the BBC had “sought to bury” – nor was it right to counsel the BBC had achieved nothing to sort out considerations raised.
Who resigned from the BBC?
Tim Davie, who stepped down, was appointed BBC director basic in 2020. Earning between £540,000 and £544,999 a 12 months, he oversees the company and is chargeable for its editorial, operational and artistic management.
He didn’t immediately point out Panorama in his resignation assertion, though he mentioned: “Whereas not being the one cause, the present debate round BBC Information has understandably contributed to my determination.
“Total the BBC is delivering effectively, however there have been some errors made, and as director basic I’ve to take final accountability.”
He later instructed employees that “we have to struggle for our journalism”.
Deborah Turness, who additionally resigned, was appointed CEO of BBC Information in 2022, overseeing information and present affairs programmes.
Earning between £430,000 and £434,999, she had accountability for a group of about 6,000 individuals, broadcasting to audiences of just about half a billion the world over, in additional than 40 languages.
In her assertion, Turness mentioned: “The continued controversy across the Panorama on President Trump has reached a stage the place it’s inflicting injury to the BBC – an establishment that I really like.
“Because the CEO of BBC Information and Present Affairs, the buck stops with me – and I took the choice to supply my resignation to the director basic final night time.”
She added: “Whereas errors have been made, I wish to be completely clear current allegations that BBC Information is institutionally biased are unsuitable.”
Which different controversies has Davie confronted?
Tim Davie has weathered many scandals and crises throughout his 5 years main the BBC.
These embody:
Davie’s resignation comes at a delicate time for the BBC, with the federal government set to evaluate the company’s Royal Constitution earlier than the present time period expires in 2027.
The constitution is the constitutional foundation for the BBC which units out the company’s “Object, Mission and Public Function”.
The constitution evaluate additionally consists of reviewing how the BBC is funded.
At the moment, the BBC is essentially funded via an annual licence fee that’s charged to all British households that watch or document dwell TV, watch programmes dwell on streaming companies, and use iPlayer.
Funding from the licence charge is used to provide TV, radio and on-line programmes for the BBC, in addition to to fund the BBC World Service, the Welsh language TV channel S4C, and Native Democracy Reporters.
The licence charge is supplemented by business incomes and different actions resembling grants, royalties and rental revenue.
How will the BBC select Davie’s substitute?
The director basic is appointed by the BBC Board, which is chargeable for making certain it delivers the company’s mission and public functions.
The BBC Board is led by chair Samir Shah who’s one in every of 10 non-executive members, plus 4 govt members, together with the director basic.
Davie’s successor would be the 18th director basic within the BBC’s 103-year historical past.
Names who’ve been rumoured as potential contenders embody Charlotte Moore, the BBC’s recently-departed chief content material officer who was answerable for all programming besides information.
Different names embody Jay Hunt, one of the crucial skilled executives in British TV, and James Harding, the BBC’s head of reports from 2013 to 2018.
