The head of the BBC admitted on Monday that the organization was slow to address accusations of bias stemming from a misleading edit of a speech by former U.S. President Donald Trump. However, the chairman denied assertions that the broadcaster’s impartiality was compromised within its own ranks.
Senior BBC officials faced questioning from the U.K. Parliament’s Culture, Media, and Sport Committee in the wake of a significant crisis at the publicly funded corporation. This crisis unfolded following the resignations of the director-general and head of news earlier in the month, coupled with Trump’s threat of a billion-dollar lawsuit.
The BBC came under fire after an internal memo, authored by a former external adviser, was leaked to British media. The memo raised concerns about alleged biased reporting in a documentary about Trump aired just before the 2024 U.S. presidential election. It also highlighted other instances of perceived bias in BBC coverage, including its treatment of transgender issues, Gaza, and race.
Chairman Samir Shah acknowledged that the broadcaster should have promptly addressed the allegations. The production company responsible for the documentary, titled “Trump: A Second Chance?”, edited three quotes from a speech Trump delivered on January 6, 2021, into a single quote, creating the impression that Trump was urging supporters to “fight like hell” alongside him.
The editing made it appear as if Trump was directly encouraging his followers to storm the U.S. Capitol as Congress prepared to certify Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election. Shah admitted that the documentary conveyed a sense of a direct call for violent action.
In his testimony to lawmakers, Shah expressed regret over the delayed response to the controversy, emphasizing the need for swift action and transparency. The BBC recently issued an apology to the White House for the edited speech but maintained that it did not defame Trump and refuted the basis for his legal threat.
Amid claims of political interference, board member Robbie Gibb, a former communications director for ex-Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative government, has faced scrutiny for alleged pro-Conservative bias at the BBC. Gibb defended himself, stating that he believes he has been unfairly portrayed.
Dismissive of allegations of an internal coup leading to the resignations of senior news executives, Shah prioritized stabilizing the organization and appointing a new director-general. The BBC has been criticized for editorial standards, with former adviser Michael Prescott highlighting concerns about left-leaning bias and other issues within the broadcaster.
Prescott’s internal note, which was leaked and published by a newspaper, criticized the BBC’s editorial approach and raised questions about its coverage of various topics. The broadcaster had previously faced sanctions from Britain’s media regulator for a documentary on Gaza, which was deemed misleading.
As a venerable institution funded by a mandatory license fee, the BBC operates under a charter obligating it to maintain impartiality. Legal experts suggest that Trump’s potential lawsuit against the BBC faces obstacles, as the broadcaster could argue that no harm was done, given Trump’s subsequent election as president in 2024.
