Overview
- BBC chair Samir Shah sent a personal letter to the White House apologizing for an edited Jan. 6, 2021 speech clip and said the Panorama film will not be rebroadcast.
- Despite the apology, the BBC stated it sees no foundation for a defamation suit and indicated it does not intend to pay compensation.
- Trump’s lawyers demanded a withdrawal, a public apology and at least $1 billion in damages, setting a response deadline for Friday at 17:00 ET.
- The controversy has prompted the resignations of Director-General Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness after criticism of the documentary’s misleading montage.
- The BBC is reviewing a second alleged misedit from a 2022 Newsnight segment, as journalist groups urge the broadcaster not to be intimidated and legal experts question Trump’s prospects given jurisdiction and actual-malice hurdles.