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BBC Apologizes to Trump for Misleading Edit, Rejects Defamation Claim

A personal apology to the White House underscores a retraction plus a pledge not to rebroadcast the Panorama episode.

Overview

  • The BBC published a retraction admitting its spliced Jan. 6 speech sequence created a mistaken impression of a direct call for violent action and said the programme will not air again in this form.
  • Chair Samir Shah sent a personal apology to the White House, and BBC lawyers told Trump’s legal team they see no basis for a defamation claim or compensation.
  • The broadcaster said it is reviewing reports that a 2022 Newsnight segment edited the same speech in a similarly misleading way.
  • Director-general Tim Davie and BBC News chief Deborah Turness resigned earlier this week following mounting criticism and hundreds of public complaints.
  • The Panorama episode aired days before the 2024 U.S. election and was produced by an external company, and the BBC says it is awaiting a response from Trump’s camp to its legal reply.