BBC Director General Tim Davie has urged staff to “fight for our journalism” after US President Donald Trump threatened to sue the corporation for $1 billion over an edited Panorama programme.
The controversy arose after a leaked internal BBC memo claimed that the documentary had misled viewers by editing parts of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech in a way that suggested he had incited the Capitol Hill riot.
Davie, who resigned on Sunday along with BBC News CEO Deborah Turness amid growing criticism over the issue, told staff on Tuesday that although the broadcaster “made some mistakes,” it must “fight for our journalism.”
“This narrative will not just be given by our enemies — it’s our narrative,” he said, stressing that despite recent challenges, “the BBC does good work, and that speaks louder than any newspaper or weaponisation.”
Trump’s legal team has demanded a “full and fair retraction” of the Panorama episode by Friday, calling the broadcast “false, defamatory, and misleading.” The BBC said it will respond in due course.
BBC Chair Samir Shah told the Culture, Media and Sport Committee on Monday that the edit was an “error of judgment” that wrongly gave the impression of a direct call for violence. He said the broadcaster would like to apologise for the mistake.
During a staff meeting, both Davie and Shah avoided direct mention of Trump’s lawsuit but acknowledged an editorial breach had occurred. Davie said he accepted responsibility, adding that he wanted to give his successor “a clear runway” before the upcoming charter renewal.
Media lawyer Mark Stephens said Trump may struggle to pursue the case in the United States since the programme was neither aired there nor available on BBC iPlayer.
Meanwhile, political leaders in the UK have defended the BBC’s independence. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office dismissed claims that the broadcaster was “institutionally biased,” while Culture Secretary Kemi Badenoch said the incident raised “serious questions” but did not justify political interference.
The Panorama programme, first aired in October 2024, has since been removed from iPlayer as it is over a year old.
Source: BBC