The BBC will apologise for its misleading editing of a Donald Trump speech in a Panorama documentary.
Samir Shah, the BBC’s chairman, will write to MPs expressing regret for the way the speech, made on the day of the Jan 6 2021 Capitol riot, was spliced together, the Telegraph reports.
The BBC’s Director-General Tim Davie is already under pressure to quit after whistleblower put together an 8,000-word dossier alleging widespread bias within the corporation.
The broadcaster’s apology will raise the issue of his position once more after it was revealed Mr Davie and Mr Shah were warned of the doctored footage in May but appear to have kept quiet.
Issuing an apology will raise questions about why it took them six months to admit viewers were misled.
The forthcoming apology follows intense media scrutiny and political pressure after internal concerns about the editing practices were exposed. Questions remain about what additional issues Mr Shah might address in his response to the parliamentary committee.
The controversial broadcast, which preceded the 2024 American election by one week, spliced together two separate segments from different portions of Trump’s address. This editing technique gave viewers the false impression that Trump had made statements he never actually uttered, according to internal documentation.
Michael Prescott, who previously served as an adviser on BBC standards, authored a memorandum that described how the programme “completely misled” its audience. His analysis revealed that whilst examining allegations of Trump inciting protesters to attack Capitol Hill, Panorama had merged distinct clips to create a misleading narrative.
The BBC doctored footage of Donald Trump’s speech
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PA / PARLIAMENT
Despite Prescott’s warnings being distributed among senior executives, these managers declined to acknowledge any violation of broadcasting standards. The former adviser subsequently attempted to alert Chairman Shah directly about what he termed a “very, very dangerous precedent” established by the programme, but his communication went unanswered.
The Telegraph’s revelation of Prescott’s internal dossier last week triggered demands for Director General Tim Davie’s resignation from prominent political figures, including former prime minister Boris Johnson. The exposé detailed how senior BBC management had been alerted to serious editorial breaches but failed to take appropriate action.
The scandal has intensified scrutiny of BBC leadership’s response to internal warnings about journalistic malpractice. Politicians have questioned why executives dismissed legitimate concerns raised through proper channels within the organisation.
The timing of these revelations has proved particularly damaging for the corporation, coming as it faces broader criticism over its coverage of international conflicts and domestic issues. The pressure on Davie has mounted considerably since the internal documents became public knowledge.
The BBC doctored the US President’s speech
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REUTERSThe White House launched a scathing attack on Friday evening, branding the BBC a “Leftist propaganda machine” guilty of “purposeful dishonesty”.
This unprecedented criticism from the US administration has added international dimensions to the growing scandal.
Sir Vernon Bogdanor, recognised as Britain’s leading constitutional authority, joined the chorus demanding Mr Davie step down with “immediate effect” on Saturday.
The Oxford University’s former government professor cited the broadcaster’s failure to address a separate report he submitted highlighting distortion and bias in Gaza war coverage.
Danny Cohen, who previously led BBC Television, observed that “both BBC Director-General Tim Davie and chairman Samir Shah were in the room when the faked Trump video was raised as a serious problem six months ago”.
He described the leadership’s week-long silence during the escalating crisis as “extraordinary”.
A BBC spokesperson told GB News: “The BBC Chairman will provide a full response to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Monday.”