Britain’s national broadcaster, the BBC, was thrown into its most serious leadership crisis in decades this week as outgoing Director General Tim Davie sought to rally demoralised staff amid mounting accusations of bias and a $1 billion legal threat from former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Davie and the BBC’s head of news, Deborah Turness, both resigned following controversy over editorial standards, including the handling of a 2024 documentary that edited a Trump speech in a way critics say distorted his remarks.
Trump’s lawyers have demanded the BBC retract the film by Friday or face a lawsuit seeking “no less” than $1 billion in damages.
Speaking at an all-staff meeting on Tuesday, Davie acknowledged the broadcaster had “made some mistakes that have cost us” but urged journalists to remain steadfast.
“We are a unique and precious organisation,” he said. “I see the free press under pressure. I see the weaponisation. We must fight for our work.”
The crisis has reignited debate over the BBC’s editorial independence and funding model. Some British politicians and newspapers have accused the broadcaster of a left-wing bias, claiming it favours the governing Labour Party.
A YouGov poll released Monday showed that one in three Britons believe the BBC leans left.
Culture Minister Lisa Nandy defended the corporation in Parliament, calling it “a light on the hill” at a time when “lines are being dangerously blurred between fact and opinion.”
Davie, who took charge in 2020, told colleagues he was stepping down due to the “relentlessness” of the role, the need to allow new leadership ahead of the 2027 charter review, and the need for accountability over the Trump documentary error.
BBC chair Samir Shah has apologised for what he called an “error of judgment” in editing Trump’s 2021 speech, which aired in a Panorama documentary shortly before the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
The edited version omitted Trump’s call for peaceful protest and appeared to suggest he had encouraged violence. Shah denied systemic bias, noting that independent surveys continue to rank the BBC as Britain’s most trusted news source.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson declined to comment on Trump’s threatened lawsuit, saying, “It is clearly not for the government to comment on any ongoing legal matters. The BBC is independent and responsible for its editorial decisions.”
Founded in 1922, the BBC is currently without a permanent leader as it faces government scrutiny over its licence fee funding model and prepares for the next 10-year charter renewal.
Despite the turmoil, Davie sought to reassure employees: “The BBC will thrive. I support everyone on the team. Our mission remains as vital as ever.”
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
