US President Donald Trump blasted the BBC on Sunday, after its Director-General, Tim Davie, and CEO of News and Current Affairs, Deborah Turness, resigned following a public outcry over the editing of Trump’s January 6, 2021, speech.
“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,’” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
“These are very dishonest people who tried to step on the scales of a Presidential Election. On top of everything else, they are from a Foreign Country, one that many consider our Number One Ally. What a terrible thing for Democracy!” he added.
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.
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.
Responding to the resignations, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday night, “The resignation of the BBC Director-General underscores the deep-seated bias that has long characterized the BBC’s coverage of Israel. For far too long, the BBC has spread disinformation that fuels antisemitism and radicalization.” said the Foreign Ministry.
“But the problem extends beyond the BBC - far too many news outlets are promoting politics disguised as facts, amplifying Hamas’s fake campaigns,” it added.
“The time has come for real accountability to restore integrity, fair and factual journalism,” concluded the Foreign Ministry’s statement.