The chairman of the BBC admitted on Monday that the broadcaster responded too slowly to concerns over a misleadingly edited clip of former U.S. President Donald Trump, but rejected accusations that political bias was influencing the organization from within its board.
Top BBC executives appeared before Parliament’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee amid a major leadership turmoil, following the resignations of the director general and head of news, and Trump’s threat to file a $1 billion defamation lawsuit.
The controversy escalated after the leak of an internal memo written by a former external adviser. The document criticized the BBC’s editorial approach in a documentary aired shortly before the 2024 U.S. election, as well as wider coverage on transgender issues, Gaza and race.
Chairman Samir Shah said the broadcaster should have addressed the issues far sooner. The documentary, produced by an external company, stitched together lines from Trump’s Jan. 6, 2021 speech in a way that made it appear he directly encouraged supporters to march to the Capitol and “fight like hell.” Shah acknowledged it created the false impression of a call to violence.
He told lawmakers the BBC should not have waited for the matter to become public before investigating. The broadcaster has apologized for the edit, though it maintains it did not defame Trump.
Shah also defended board member Robbie Gibb, who has faced allegations of Conservative Party influence due to his prior role in government. Gibb dismissed suggestions that board politics triggered the resignations of senior news leaders.
Lawmakers also questioned former journalist and standards adviser Michael Prescott, who authored the leaked memo. He highlighted systemic weaknesses in how the BBC responds to editorial complaints, but said he did not believe the broadcaster was institutionally biased.
The crisis follows a recent ruling by the U.K. media regulator, which found that a BBC documentary on Gaza was “materially misleading.” The revelations have intensified scrutiny on the 103-year-old publicly funded institution, which is legally required to maintain impartiality.
Legal analysts say Trump would face significant obstacles pursuing a lawsuit in either the U.K. or the U.S., arguing the BBC could show he suffered no damage since he ultimately won the 2024 presidential election.
Source: AP