BBC chief and news head resign amid edited Trump Capitol speech

BBC Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News Chief Executive Deborah Turness announced their resignations on Sunday, following growing controversy over a Panorama documentary accused of misleading viewers by editing a speech from U.S. President Donald Trump about the January 6 Capitol attack.

The resignations were announced by the BBC Press Office on Sunday. Both Davie and Turness cited the pressure of recent events, including criticism over editorial standards.

In her resignation message to staff, Turness said the “ongoing controversy around the Panorama on President Trump has reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC,” adding that “the buck stops with me.”

Davie, who has served as Director-General since 2020, said the recent debate surrounding BBC News contributed to his decision to step down after two decades at the corporation. “While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision,” he said in a message to employees.

The controversy stems from a report in The Telegraph that alleged a BBC Panorama documentary, Trump: A Second Chance?, edited portions of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech to make it appear as though he explicitly encouraged the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The outlet cited a leaked internal memo from a former editorial adviser who raised concerns about how the documentary was assembled.

In a post on social media, Trump said that BBC leaders were “caught ‘doctoring’ my very good (PERFECT!) speech of January 6th,” and thanking The Telegraph for “exposing these corrupt journalists.”

“In public life leaders need to be fully accountable, and that is why I am stepping down,” Turness wrote. “While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong.”

Davie and Turness will remain in their roles temporarily to oversee an orderly handover while the BBC Board begins the process of appointing successors.