Tim Davie resigns as BBC director general after accusations of ‘serious and systemic' bias in coverage
Tim Davie, the BBC's director general, and the head of BBC News have resigned after a former adviser to the corporation accused it of "serious and systemic" bias in its coverage of issues including Donald Trump, Gaza and trans rights, SİA informs referirng to The Guardian.
In an announcement that caused shock within the corporation, Davie said his departure was "entirely my decision" and it comes as the BBC prepares to apologise for the way it edited a Trump speech.
Deborah Turness, the head of BBC News, has also resigned. Sources within that department described a mood of dismay at Turness's exit. "It feels like a coup," one said. "This is the result of a campaign by political enemies of the BBC."
It is a huge moment for the corporation, as it heads into critical talks with the government over its future and funding. The hunt is now on to fill two of the biggest roles in British media.
The Commons culture, media and sport select committee had set a Monday deadline for the BBC to respond to the claims made by Michael Prescott, a former independent external adviser to its editorial guidelines and standards committee. He left that role in the summer.
Prescott criticised the editing of Trump's speech in an edition of Panorama, which spliced together clips from an address the US president made on 6 January 2021. The edit suggested Trump told the crowd: "We're going to walk down to the Capitol and I'll be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell."
The words were taken from sections of his speech almost an hour apart. The incident has led to criticism of the BBC by Karoline Leavitt, Trump's press secretary, who described the corporation this weekend as "100% fake news" and a "propaganda machine."
Last night, Leavitt appeared to celebrate the departures, referring on X to her complaints about the BBC's treatment of the US president's speech.
Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that "very dishonest people" had "tried to step on the scales of a Presidential Election", adding: "On top of everything else, they are from a Foreign Country, one that many consider our Number One Ally. What a terrible thing for democracy!"
In a note to staff, Davie said he had retained the "unswerving and unanimous support" of the BBC's board and its chair, Samir Shah, throughout. However, he said the current accusations had contributed to his decision.
"Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable," he said.
"While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision. Overall, the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as director general I have to take ultimate responsibility."
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