BBC Admits Editorial Error, Issues Apology to US President Trump
- The BBC has apologised to President Donald Trump over an edited Panorama clip that merged separate parts of his 2021 speech
- Trump’s legal team demanded a retraction and one billion dollars in compensation and threatened to sue
- The fallout from the controversy led to the resignations of BBC director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness
A formal apology has been issued by the BBC to United States President Donald Trump over an edited Panorama segment that combined separate portions of his 6 January 2021 speech.
The corporation admitted that the sequence created a false impression about the intent of his remarks. It also confirmed that the programme would not be broadcast again.
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Despite the apology, the BBC refused Trump’s demand for compensation.
Trump’s lawyers have threatened legal action seeking one billion dollars in damages if the corporation does not retract the programme and pay compensation.
The UK government said it was monitoring events but would not intervene.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told BBC Breakfast that the corporation had assured her it was handling the matter with full seriousness. She reaffirmed that the BBC’s independence remained central to its role and said discussions were taking place at senior levels within the organisation.
BBC engages US officials and legal teams
Nandy said the government had held no talks with the Trump administration about the matter. She insisted that decisions on the issue rested with the BBC leadership.
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The controversy has resulted in the resignations of director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness. The White House has not yet commented.
The apology came only hours after a separate edited clip from a 2022 Newsnight broadcast was brought to light. In a public correction, the BBC said Panorama was reviewed following criticism of how Trump’s speech had been presented.
The corporation acknowledged that the edit appeared to merge distant parts of the address into a single passage. It accepted that this created the impression of a direct call for violent action.
The BBC said it had responded formally to Trump’s legal team and sent a personal letter from chair Samir Shah to the White House.
BBC rejects claim of defamation
The corporation stated it regretted how the footage was edited but rejected the claim that the sequence amounted to defamation. Its letter laid out several arguments, including that the programme did not air in the United States, that Trump won reelection and therefore suffered no measurable harm, and that the clip was intended only to condense a long speech.
It also said the excerpt sat within an hour-long documentary that included voices supportive of Trump. The BBC further noted that political speech on matters of public concern is strongly protected under US law.
A similar concern has now been raised over a 2022 Newsnight segment that showed another edited sequence from the same speech. Former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney told the programme that the statements had been “spliced together.”
The BBC said it was reviewing the issue as part of its commitment to high editorial standards. Trump’s legal team responded by claiming the revelations pointed to a broader pattern of wrongdoing.
BBC rejects its Hausa Editor's resignation letter
Legit.ng earlier reported that the BBC rejected the resignation of its Hausa service editor, Aliyu Abdullahi Tanko. This action came three months after the BBC had suspended him over allegations of workplace harassment by some former staff.
Tanko, who was reportedly suspended on Wednesday, August 27, tendered a resignation letter on Thursday, August 28, but was rejected by the organisation.
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Source: Legit.ng
