'BBC Bias' Memo Was Authored by Lobbyist Tied to Pro-Trump Tech Giants
10 days ago
- #Trump
- #MediaBias
- #BBC
- Michael Prescott, a right-wing lobbyist, authored a leaked memo criticizing BBC's 'progressive bias', which was used by Donald Trump to threaten a lawsuit against the BBC.
- Prescott's firm, Hanover Communications, is paid by US tech and media giants with ties to Trump, including Oracle, Apple, Meta, and Paramount.
- Oracle's founder, Larry Ellison, a major Trump donor, is building a conservative-leaning media empire, including potential ownership of TikTok's US version.
- The memo's leak and subsequent BBC governance crisis raise concerns about a coordinated effort by Trump-aligned interests to undermine the BBC.
- Prescott was appointed as an external adviser to the BBC's Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee, with his appointment allegedly facilitated by BBC Board member Sir Robbie Gibb.
- Sir Robbie Gibb, a former Downing Street communications chief, has ties to GB News and hedge-fund billionaire Paul Marshall, who advocates dismantling the BBC.
- GB News, co-founded by Gibb, has expanded into the US market, aligning with Trump's media strategies and attacking the BBC.
- The BBC panel that appointed Prescott had strong Conservative Party ties, raising questions about impartiality and conflicts of interest.