credit, Reuters
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was criticized for a documentary about the program panoramaWho was accused of misleadingly editing a speech by US President Donald Trump, which gave the impression that he was inciting attacks on the Capitol in January 2021.
In emails sent to employees, both Davey and Torness admitted that “mistakes” had occurred.
Who are Tim Davie and Deborah Torness?
Tim Davie was appointed Director General of the BBC in September 2020. He is responsible for overseeing the corporation’s services and is its editorial, operational and creative leader.
When he arrived at the position, he was not a new figure at the BBC, having already been chief executive of BBC Studios for seven years.
Before joining the BBC, Davy worked at organizations including Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo.
Deborah Torness has been CEO of BBC News since 2022, overseeing the BBC’s news and current affairs programmes.
In her role, she is responsible for a team of around 6,000 people, who broadcast programming and news to nearly half a billion people around the world in more than 40 languages.
Previously, she was CEO of ITN Group and President of NBC News.
Why did they resign from their positions?
The resignations come in the wake of the controversy surrounding a documentary film he wrote panorama due Trump: A second chance?which aired a week before the 2024 US presidential election.
Torness said in his statement: “The current controversy surrounding panorama “Matters involving President Trump have reached a point where they are causing damage to the BBC – an institution that I love.”
He added: “As chief executive of BBC News and Current Affairs, the ultimate responsibility rests with me, and I took the decision to tender my resignation to the director general last night.”
He added: “Although mistakes have been made, I want to make absolutely clear that recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are false.”
Davey did not mention the documentary panorama In the memo announcing his resignation, he said: “Although not the only reason, the controversy surrounding BBC News understandably contributed to my decision.”
“Overall, the BBC has performed well, but mistakes have been made and, as director-general, I must take ultimate responsibility.”
credit, Getty Images
Last week, The Telegraph published an exclusive report claiming to have seen a leaked internal BBC memo.
The memo was from Michael Prescott, a former independent external adviser to the Broadcasting Corporation’s Editorial Standards Committee. He left his position in June.
The memo suggested that the documentary panoramawhich lasted for an hour, edited portions of Trump’s speech so that he appeared to explicitly encourage the storming of the Capitol in January 2021.
“We will march to the Capitol and salute our brave senators and members of Congress,” Trump said in his speech in Washington on January 6, 2021.
However, in Edit panoramaHe is shown saying: “We will march to the Capitol… and I will be there with you. And we will fight. We will fight with all our might.”
Both excerpts were edited from Trump’s speech, making it appear to be just one sentence. But each excerpt was spoken more than 50 minutes apart.
The comment about fighting “with all our might” is taken from a segment in which Trump discussed how “corrupt” the US election is. In all, he used the words “struggle” or “fight” 20 times in his speech.
According to the Telegraph, the document said that “the day’s events were distorted” by panorama It will leave viewers wondering: “Why should the BBC be trusted and where will it all end?”
When the issue was raised with BBC managers, the memo says they “refused to accept that there had been a breach of standards”.
The BBC has been criticized over a range of other issues in recent weeks.
The Telegraph also reported that Prescott expressed concern about the lack of action to address the “systemic problems” of anti-Israel bias in coverage of the war in Gaza by the BBC Arabic news service.
The report also stated that Prescott expressed concerns about the BBC’s coverage of transgender-related issues.
On Thursday, the BBC upheld 20 impartiality complaints over the way broadcaster Martine Croxall, earlier this year, changed a script she was reading live on BBC News, which referred to “pregnant women”.
Why did Davey quit at this time?
Davey received the nickname “Tim Teflon” from some in the media because there was nothing to set him apart.
He also tried to overcome the recent controversy, but it has gained momentum in recent days. The BBC is expected to issue an apology on Monday (10/11) for the documentary panorama.
It comes at a sensitive time for the BBC, as the government is about to review the document that governs its entire relationship with the company – before the current mandate expires in 2027.
“You will ask why now, why at this time?” Davy said in his statement.
He said he was “the BBC in body and soul” who cared deeply about the broadcaster and wanted it to succeed.
“That is why I want to create the best conditions and the best space for a new director general to take on this role and shape the next charter positively. I hope that as we move forward, a sensible, calm and rational public conversation can be had about the next chapter for the BBC.”
How will the BBC choose its next director general?
The Director-General is appointed by the BBC Board, which is the body responsible for ensuring that the broadcaster delivers on its overall mission and objectives.
The BBC’s Board of Directors is chaired by Chairman Samir Shah, who is one of 10 non-executive members, in addition to four executive members, including the Director-General.
When Davie was appointed in 2020, the process of selecting his successor was run by the BBC Board’s Appointments Committee.
The Director General is appointed in accordance with the terms of the BBC Charter.
Davie’s successor will be the BBC’s 18th Director-General, spanning 103 years.
Among the names considered as a potential candidate is Charlotte Moore, the former BBC content director, responsible for all programs except news, who oversaw hits such as Traitors, The wheel and Happy Valley.
Other names include Guy Hunt, one of the most experienced executives in British television, and James Harding, head of news at the BBC from 2013 to 2018.
About The Author
