The BBC finds itself in another mess of its own making
The BBC finds itself in another mess of its own making but this time there’s a danger that it may not emerge out of it unscathed.
While in the past it’s been able to weather the storm, the resignation of chief executive of BBC News Deborah Turness and director-general Tim Davie puts the broadcaster in a very difficult position.
BBC chairman Samir Shah has said the corporation would like to apologise for an “error of judgment” over the editing of a speech by Donald Trump for Panorama.
Critics say the Panorama documentary, broadcast by the BBC the week before last year’s US election, was misleading and removed a section where Trump said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully. Now Trump has sent a letter to the BBC threatening legal action.
That wasn’t the only issue raised in the memo written by Michael Prescott to the BBC's Editorial Guidelines and Standards Board. Mr Prescott, a former standards adviser to the broadcaster, also highlighted shortcomings with the BBC's coverage of the Israel – Hamas conflict and transgender issues.
The biggest problem for the BBC is that trust has been eroded in the organisation and it's not just as a result of this latest furore.
The BBC has lost sight of what it means to be a public service broadcaster. Rather than focusing on its core remit, it has spent recent years chasing trends.
The deeply flawed institution is in need of reform. Despite this, the temptation to hand greater say over the BBC to politicians must be avoided.