Two senior executives at the BBC have stepped down following widespread criticism over the editing of a documentary featuring former U.S. President Donald Trump and broader concerns about editorial bias at the broadcaster.
Tim Davie, the Director-General of the BBC, and Deborah Turness, the Chief Executive of BBC News, announced their resignations on Sunday, citing the fallout from an episode of the flagship programme Panorama that included a controversial edit of Trump’s January 6, 2021, speech.
The documentary allegedly spliced remarks from different parts of the speech to create a version of Trump’s words that omitted important context. Critics, including Trump’s team and British lawmakers, said the edit distorted the original intent of the remarks.
In his departure note to staff, Tim Davie acknowledged that “mistakes have been made” and accepted “ultimate responsibility” for the incident. Deborah Turness similarly stated that the controversy had reached a point where it was “causing damage to the BBC, an institution that I love.”
The resignations occur at a particularly sensitive moment for the BBC, which is preparing for negotiations over its upcoming charter renewal and facing mounting scrutiny over its funding model and impartiality. Some critics demand sweeping reforms to the organisation’s leadership and editorial culture.
As the organisation transitions, the BBC board is now tasked with appointing successors and restoring trust among its audience, stakeholders, and the UK government.
