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Liam O'Dell
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Not content with attacking late-night talk show hosts in America, US president Donald Trump has now turned his attention across the pond to the BBC, criticising the editing of a Panorama documentary featuring remarks he made on January 6 – criticism which contributed to Tim Davie announcing his resignation as director general on Sunday.
So what’s going on? Allow us to explain…
The “internal whistleblowing memo”
In the run-up to the presidential election last year, Panorama released a documentary titled “Trump: A Second Chance?”, which covered the infamous January 6 insurrection and the Republican’s remarks at the Ellipse near the White House.
However, The Telegraph reports that concerns were later raised around how Trump’s speech was presented to viewers, with the convicted felon appearing to tell supporters: “We’re gonna walk down to the Capitol and I’ll be there with you and we fight. We fight like hell and if you don’t fight like hell you’re not gonna have a country anymore.”
This is a combination of three separate parts of Trump’s comments, with the politician actually saying: “We’re gonna walk down, and I’ll be there with you, we’re gonna walk down, we’re gonna walk down any one you want but I think right here, we’re gonna walk down to the Capitol and we’re gonna cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women…”
The part about ‘fighting like hell’ actually came later on, when he talked about voters standing outside polling stations “at 9 o’clock in the evening” and something being “really wrong”.
He continued: “I said something’s wrong here, something’s really wrong, can’t have happened, and we fight.
“We fight like hell, and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not gonna have a country anymore.”
Tim Davie and Deborah Turness resign
A major escalation occurred on Sunday, when both Davie (the BBC’s director general) and Deborah Turness (the CEO of News) announced their resignations.
Davie wrote in his email to BBC staff: “Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable. While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision. Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as director general I have to take ultimate responsibility.
“I am BBC through and through, having spent the last 20 years of my life working for this organisation as director of marketing, communications and audiences, director of audio and music, acting director general and chief executive of BBC Studios. I care deeply about it and want it to succeed.
“That is why I want to create the best conditions and space for a new DG to come in and positively shape the next Royal Charter. I hope that as we move forward, a sensible, calm and rational public conversation can take place about the next chapter of the BBC.”
Meanwhile, Turniss said in her resignation email that the controversy surrounding the Panorama programme had reached a stage where it was “causing damage to the BBC”.
She said: “As the CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs, the buck stops with me - and I took the decision to offer my resignation to the Director-General last night.
“In public life leaders need to be fully accountable, and that is why I am stepping down. While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong.”
Trump attacks “corrupt ‘journalists’” at the BBC
The US president responded the same day, writing on his Truth Social platform: “The TOP people in the BBC, including TIM DAVIE, the BOSS, are all quitting/FIRED, because they were caught “doctoring” my very good (PERFECT!) speech of January 6th. Thank you to The Telegraph for exposing these Corrupt ‘Journalists.’”
Turness clapped back at the president’s description of BBC journalists and said: “Of course our journalists aren't corrupt. Our journalists are hardworking people who strive for impartiality and I will stand by their journalism."
Karoline Leavitt attacks “anti-Trump fake news” BBC and tells people to watch GB News instead
Yes, that really happened…
BBC apologises for Panorama edit
Their resignations came a day before the BBC published its response to complaints about the programme, in which it accepted that its edit “created the impression we were showing a single continuous section of the speech”, as opposed to two separate parts of Trump’s remarks.
It reads: “Directly after those excerpts, we showed a clip of a group of ‘Proud Boys’ marching to the Capitol. Although many people did march to the Capitol following his speech, the clip of this particular group had been filmed before Donald Trump began his speech.
“Consequently, this gave the impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action. The BBC would like to apologise for that error of judgement.”
Trump threatens to sue BBC for $1 billion
Ever litigious, it’s now been reported that Trump issued the BBC with a letter threatening to sue them over their editing of his speech for the Panorama programme.
The BBC confirmed on Monday that it is reviewing the letter and will “respond directly in due course”.
Yikes…
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