BBC top managers resign over Panorama controversy

BBC Director General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness resigned after criticism that a «Panorama» documentary misrepresented U.S. President Donald Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech by editing distant segments together. The edits allegedly made Trump appear to encourage the Capitol riot, according to the BBC.

The White House criticized the edit, while Trump described the resignations as the result of «top people in the BBC being caught ‘doctoring’ his perfect speech of January 6th,» demonstrating their bias.

It is worth noting that the simultaneous resignation of two top managers is rare for the BBC. The move followed the publication of a leaked internal memo by The Telegraph, which identified editorial failures and raised broader concerns about impartiality at the BBC. This memo, written by former editorial adviser Michael Prescott, also pointed out bias in BBC reporting on transgender topics.

Davie, who led the BBC for five years, said the debate about BBC News influenced his decision and that he takes responsibility for «mistakes made.» Turness, who became CEO of News and Current Affairs in 2022, said the controversy was harming the BBC, but denied any institutional bias within the company.

BBC Chairman Samir Shah commented on the developments, saying he respects the decision of his colleagues. He is also expected to appear before the British Parliament to apologize for the way the speech was edited in the program.

Meanwhile, British politicians expressed hope that the resignations would lead to reform. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy thanked Davie for leading the BBC during a time of change, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the resignations but noted that there are still issues to address regarding impartiality.

Davie said he will ensure a smooth handover to a new director general in the coming months.