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The chairman of the BBC, Samir Shah, has reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the recent controversy surrounding Panorama’s broadcast involving a Donald Trump speech. Despite facing criticism for his handling of the situation, Shah emphasized in a parliamentary committee hearing that he is determined to resolve the issues rather than step aside. Offering an apology for the missteps and their consequences, he expressed his intention to “fix it” and stabilize the corporation.
This controversy was triggered by the release of an internal memo from former editorial adviser Michael Prescott, who highlighted worsening “systemic problems” within BBC News, while clarifying he did not believe the organization was institutionally biased. The memo intensified scrutiny on the BBC’s journalistic standards and governance, leading to the resignations of director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness earlier this month. Shah, addressing MPs, apologized to supporters of the BBC and described his current role as one focused on steadying the organization rather than abandoning the challenge.
In response to the crisis, Shah announced a job listing for a new director general ahead of the parliamentary session and suggested the creation of a deputy director general post to share the substantial workload. He acknowledged that the BBC was slow to apologize after the internal concerns became public and admitted the need to improve the speed of their response. The delay, he explained, was due to the time necessary to thoroughly investigate the situation and determine the precise form of the apology.
Further insights into the BBC’s internal disagreements were revealed during the hearing. Shah described a significant divide among board members and executives about whether the apology should address the implication that Trump was inciting violent action or merely clarify that the Panorama broadcast had edited two segments of the speech together. Board member Caroline Thomson noted that while some members saw the segment as misleading, the News department believed the edit was justified by the overall context. Despite the turmoil, Shah praised Turness for stepping down honorably while affirming that the director general had the board’s full confidence and that his resignation was not seen as necessary. Additionally, Sir Robbie Gibb, a board member and former BBC editor, refuted claims of a politically motivated “coup,” calling such accusations “complete nonsense” and defending his impartiality despite media speculation about his political leanings
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