'Error of Judgement': BBC Chair responds to backlash over Trump Documentary following CEO Tim Davie's resignation

Liberal Democrat chief Ed Davey told the UK government to speak up after US President Donald Trump slammed the BBC - rumours say he might even sue them. Over the weekend, Trump gave props to the Telegraph for running a secret memo while slamming reporters who tweaked a Panorama report, claiming they twisted facts.

Instead of staying quiet, Davey fired off notes to PM Keir Starmer, Tory head Kemi Badenoch, and Farage from Reform, saying outsiders shouldn't get a say in what Brits watch or read. He pointed out that the Beeb belongs to everyone here - and defending its space isn’t optional when freedom of the press hangs in the balance.

BBC boss Samir Shah said sorry, saying it was an "error of judgment" after a Panorama show tweaked a clip of U.S. leader Donald Trump, making it seem like he was urging people to act violently. Tension built up lately when a private BBC note got out, pointing fingers at how the network managed its 2024 election stories and challenging why they chose to edit that scene the way they did. Shah called the move a slip-up in decision-making, stressing how crucial it is to get facts right and keep viewers' confidence amid rising backlash from both staff and the public.

BBC faces backlash over Trump edit, leadership resignations follow

Facing criticism, the BBC was called out after a memo from former adviser Michael Prescott alleged that Panorama had cut and spliced two parts of President Donald Trump's speech, making it look as if he was directly urging the Jan 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Responding to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, BBC executive Samir Shah said the edit was meant to help audiences understand both the content of Trump's remarks and the way they resonated with his supporters, on the ground, rather than to warp his words.

Shah explained that the issue was dealt with internally as part of an audit of the network’s US election reporting rather than being lodged as a formal editorial complaint. He noted that the broadcast aired before the election and didn’t generate audience reaction, so the matter wasn’t pursued further at that point.

The BBC now admits a clipped version of Donald Trump's remarks twisted what he actually said - causing uproar across audiences and chaos behind the scenes. They conceded the editing made it seem like he urged violence on purpose, showing clear misjudgment in how they handled the material. Things blew up when an internal note from top reporter Richard Prescott leaked - he didn't just slam the altered clip but called out deeper issues in decision-making, blaming stalled reforms at the top. And now, BBC director general Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness stepped down from their roles on Sunday evening.

Once that document got out, backlash flooded in: over 500 viewer complaints poured into the network, each one going through regular review steps. The aftermath hit hard and fast - top boss Tim Davie stepped down, followed closely by news division head Deborah Turness. Even though things have been chaotic, the group insists its reporting stays neutral - yet Prescott's note made people wonder about deep-rooted flaws or how choices are really made at the network. This event stirred up talk around fairness in editing, who answers for what's published, and how open media should be when serving the public.a

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