The chair of the BBC has apologized for an “error of judgement” in the way a panorama documentary was described in a speech, after criticism of the editing by two of its most senior executives.
Samir Shah said the BBC had botched an investigation into the matter but defended the corporation against claims it had failed to address claims of bias, which he said were “untrue”.
In a Letter to Caroline Dienagethe chair of the culture and media select committee, Sah wrote that the BBC has received more than 500 complaints since being highlighted by a good counsel.
He wrote that he was “absolutely clear that the BBC must champion impartiality” and added: “We accept that the way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct call for violent action.”
Shah’s letter was published on Monday, hours after the director-general of the BBC, Tim Davie, and the attention of Trump, which attracted the attention of the scandal of the BBC journalists in the US. Trump wrote to the BBC on Monday threatening legal action. A BBC spokesman said: “We will examine the letter and respond directly to the appropriate course.”
The resignation of two of the BBC’s most senior figures follows days of criticism from the White House and UK commentators prompted by a leaked memo published by the Daily Telegraph.
Trump and his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, publicly celebrated Davie’s resignations and engagements. The shelter said he “walked away at the weekend because the Buck stopped me”, but emphasized that “BBC News is not institutionally biased.
In response to the crisis, the spokesperson of Ke
“We support a strong, independent BBC, and in the age of disinformation, the argument for a strong news service is particularly strong, but trust is being corrected,” the spokesman said.
Asked if the corporation was under pressure from the attacks on the meeting, the spokesperson said it was important to maintain trust. “Tim Davie and Deborah highly take responsibility for the mistakes. It is right that we continue to support the BBC, and manage the transition,” he said.
David Yelland, who edited the day from 1998 to 2003 and now presents a BBC Podcast, that the resignations of people who do not have a system of people close to the BBC board for a long time.
Yelland’s criticisms reflect a state of turmoil within BBC News, with a source saying on Sunday night: “This is the result of a campaign by the BBC’s political police.”
The Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, wrote in a letter to Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage on Monday that it is in Britain’s National Interest to protect the BBC from Foreign Interference.
“It should be more about everyone to see the President of the United States pressure the BBC into its leadership and attack its journalists,” Davey wrote. “It should not be up to foreign powers to dictate where the British people get their news. We must stand together to defend our democracy from a vital ally.”
The crisis triggered by the leads identified by a former independent extister outside of the BBC’s editorial standards, Michael Prescott, who left his role in the summer.
In his letter, Sah said Prescott’s memo was a “partial” and “personal” account of the BBC’s discussions and did not reflect the internal discussions and decisions made.
Price’s memo criticized the editing of a speech by Trump in an episode of Panorama, which he presided over that showed Trump encouraging an attack on the US Capitol. Two sections of the speech combined were actually delivered in one hour, and the editing didn’t mention that Trumper also wanted his supporters to be peaceful.
Shah said that the issue was “considered and discussed as part of a larger review of the US Election Coverage” in the first episode, “which provided this important feedback and did not attract a large audience election”. He said the points raised in this review have been forwarded to the Karorama Team.
But he added that “in short, it would be better to take a more formal action that” involves those who make decisions about the documentary.
Shah wrote that he met with Prescott and discussed next steps, but that his memo is “his personal account of the meetings where he is now” and it does not “represent a complete picture of the discussions, decisions, and actions taken”.
In a press conference in Westminster on Monday, the minister claimed that the BBC “has been institutionally biased for decades” and a person from a cause organization, and not just in a cause organization, and just not in the culture “.
He accused the corporation of “election interference” and called for it to be slimmed down and forced to compete with commercial providers for subscriptions.