The Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Tim Davie, and the corporation’s CEO of News and Current Affairs, Deborah Turness, announced their resignations on Sunday evening, following mounting criticism over the editing of a video of Donald Trump.
The two senior executives of the UK’s public broadcaster stepped down after a public outcry erupted over the editing of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech, featured in a documentary aired last year.
Public criticism against the BBC intensified in recent weeks after reports revealed that the edited version of Trump’s speech omitted a key passage in which he called on demonstrators to “act peacefully” and edited together parts that were separated by a substantial period of time to make them seem like they were spoken at the same time.
Critics accused the BBC of intentional manipulation, violating the broadcaster’s explicit obligation to objectivity under its charter.
In a letter to BBC staff, Davie wrote: “This is my personal decision… Overall, the BBC is performing well, but mistakes have been made, and as Director-General, the ultimate responsibility rests with me.”
He added that he would work with the Board to ensure a smooth transition over the coming months.
Turness, who assumed her position as Head of News in 2023, said: “The storm surrounding the documentary has reached a point where it is harming the BBC - an institution I love. As the head of news and current affairs, the responsibility stops with me. In public life, leaders must be fully accountable - and that is why I am resigning.”
However, she rejected claims of systemic bias, stating: “Mistakes were made, but I must be clear: the recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are false.”
The controversy deepened after excerpts were leaked from an internal report prepared by Michael Prescott, a special consultant hired by the BBC to review its editorial standards and professional guidelines.
The report also criticized the BBC’s coverage of transgender issues and cited evidence of anti-Israel bias in the network’s Arabic-language broadcasts.