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BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News Chief Deborah Turness Resign Over Trump Speech Edit Furor

BBC chairman Samir Shah has told lawmakers the Panorama edit created the impression of a direct call to violence.

Overview

  • Davie and Turness announced their departures, saying leaders must take responsibility, while Turness rejected claims that BBC News is institutionally biased.
  • In a letter to Parliament, Shah apologized and said the edit of Donald Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech gave viewers the impression of a direct call to violent action.
  • The controversy followed a leaked memo by former external adviser Michael Prescott alleging Panorama spliced quotes nearly an hour apart, cutting lines about demonstrating peacefully.
  • Trump celebrated the resignations and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt labeled the broadcaster “100% fake news,” as UK politicians pressed for accountability.
  • The BBC is preparing a formal response to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, begins a search for successors, and faces heightened scrutiny ahead of Royal Charter funding talks after earlier editorial failings and an Ofcom sanction.