BBC Trump scandal: argument for 'impartial' national broadcaster is 'stronger than ever', No10 says
In an age of disinformation the argument for a “robust and impartial” BBC “is stronger than ever”, Downing Street has said, despite the scandal engulfing the broadcaster.
BBC chairman Samir Shah yesterday said the corporation would like to apologise for an “error of judgment” over the editing of a speech by Donald Trump for Panorama.
The apology follows the resignation of two of the corporation’s most senior figures on Sunday – chief executive of BBC News Deborah Turness and director-general Tim Davie – who announced their departure from the BBC after concerns were raised in Michael Prescott’s report that the speech had been selectively edited.
Critics said the Panorama documentary, broadcast by the BBC the week before last year’s US election, was misleading and removed a section where Mr Trump said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully.
The US President hit out at the broadcaster, describing Ms Turness and Mr Davie as “very dishonest people”, and sent a letter threatening legal action.
However, Downing Street issued a forceful defence of the corporation yesterday, while insisting “it is important that the BBC acts to retain trust and correct mistakes when they are made”.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Tim Davie and Deborah Turness have both taken responsibility for mistakes that the BBC admits it has made.
“It is important that we support the BBC as an important national institution.”
He said Sir Keir Starmer does not believe the corporation is “corrupt”, before adding: “The BBC has a vital role in an age of disinformation… where there’s a clear argument for a robust, impartial British news service to deliver, and that case is stronger than ever.
“I think I’ve already addressed some of the comments that have been made over the last 24 hours, but we are of the view that it’s important that the BBC acts swiftly to maintain trust and correct mistakes quickly when they occur.”
Sir Keir and Mr Trump appear to have a good relationship, however it is not believed that the Prime Minister has spoken to the President since the resignations.
Responding to a letter from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (CMS), Mr Shah said there have been more than 500 complaints since the publication of Mr Prescott’s memo, adding: “We accept that the way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct call for violent action.”
The memo raised concerns about the way clips of Mr Trump’s speech on January 6 2021 were spliced together to make it appear he had told supporters he was going to walk to the US Capitol with them to “fight like hell”.
Mr Shah said the editorial guidelines and standards committee (EGSC) was told by BBC News the purpose of editing the clip was “to convey the message of the speech made by President Trump so that Panorama’s audience could better understand how it had been received by President Trump’s supporters and what was happening on the ground at that time”.
The issue was “considered and discussed as part of a wider review of the BBC’s US election coverage, commissioned by the committee, rather than handled as a specific programme complaint, given it had not attracted significant audience feedback and had been transmitted before the US election, so the point wasn’t pursued further that that time”, he added.
The letter continued: “The points raised in the review were relayed to the Panorama team, including the decision making on this edit. With hindsight, it would have been better to take more formal action.”
Mr Shah said the BBC board will revisit every item set out in Mr Prescott’s memo, including the editing of the Trump speech and the reporting of casualty figures in Gaza and “will take further action where appropriate.”