Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Five senior figures from the BBC, including the corporation’s chairman, spent over three hours answering questions from Members of Parliament following the leak of a memo alleging bias within the broadcaster. This intense session comes in the wake of resignations earlier this month by BBC Director General Tim Davie and BBC News chief Deborah Turness, both stepping down after controversy sparked by a Panorama episode that selectively edited a 2021 speech by then-US President Donald Trump.
The leaked memo, authored by Michael Prescott, was initially published by the Daily Telegraph and became a focal point during the parliamentary hearing. Prescott, alongside Caroline Daniel, another former external editorial adviser, appeared before the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) committee. The hearing also included testimony from BBC Chairman Samir Shah, Sir Robbie Gibb, and Caroline Thomson, all of whom are members of the BBC board.
During the session, Prescott, who previously served as political editor of the Sunday Times, spoke candidly about editorial challenges at the BBC. While he rejected the notion of institutional bias, noting the BBC produces “world class” content, he criticized how the corporation handles editorial shortcomings, suggesting systemic problems are inadequately addressed. He pointed to a notable example involving a now-deleted 2024 BBC Verify article that falsely claimed ethnic minorities paid higher car insurance premiums, describing it as “utterly untrue” and indicative of multiple editorial failures. Prescott emphasized that these early-stage issues had yet to be fully confronted by the broadcaster.
Samir Shah opened his testimony by apologizing to the public, license fee payers, and BBC staff for the mistakes that had taken place. Reflecting on the handling of the Trump speech controversy, he conceded that a more timely response was needed, acknowledging an internal report flagged concerns as early as January but significant action was only discussed months later. Shah said, “Looking back, I think we should have made the decision [to respond] earlier, in May,” and admitted the board was slow to pursue the matter fully. He rejected suggestions of board pressure to delay apologies and affirmed his commitment to remaining in his role to help rectify the broadcaster’s issues.
Caroline Thomson, who rejoined the BBC as a non-executive board member after previously working there until 2012, highlighted divisions within the board over when and how to apologise for the controversial edit. She pointed out a “continuing and sharp difference of opinion” between board members and Deborah Turness regarding whether the apology should address the edit itself or its impact. Thomson described the edit as “misleading” yet indicated that some news executives believed the altered footage was justified, though transparency was lacking. Sir Robbie Gibb, another board member, described the question as whether there had been a “serious error,” asserting that the edit wrongly implied that Trump’s comments were a “call to arms,” breaching editorial standards.
When questioned about attempts to prevent Tim Davie’s resignation, Shah confirmed he had urged the director general to stay, expressing regret over Davie’s departure and stating the board had retained confidence in his leadership. Shah also suggested that the director general’s role was too large for one individual and mentioned plans to potentially restructure the executive team to include a deputy focused specifically on journalism. The BBC has since launched a search for a new director general, with the position formally advertised.
Sir Robbie Gibb addressed questions concerning his own impartiality, asserting he felt “impartiality through [his] bones,” a value ingrained in him since joining the BBC in 1991. He expressed frustration at how he had been “weaponised” in public perception. Regarding the leaked memo, Gibb dismissed claims of a board-level conspiracy as “complete nonsense” and found such allegations offensive to distinguished fellow board members. Chair Shah expressed “absolute faith” in Gibb’s integrity during the committee session
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.