Tim Davie resigns as BBC director general after accusations of serious bias
13 days ago
- #Media Bias
- #BBC
- #Resignation
- Tim Davie, BBC’s director general, and Deborah Turness, head of BBC News, have resigned following accusations of 'serious and systemic' bias in BBC coverage.
- The resignations come as the BBC prepares to apologize for editing a Trump speech, which spliced clips to misrepresent his words.
- Michael Prescott, a former BBC adviser, criticized the BBC’s editing of Trump’s speech and accused BBC Arabic of using contributors with antisemitic views.
- Trump and his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, condemned the BBC, calling it 'fake news' and a 'propaganda machine'.
- Concerns exist that Prescott’s letter, while highlighting genuine issues, is being exploited by political opponents to destabilize the BBC.
- Davie cited the ongoing controversy around BBC News as a factor in his resignation, emphasizing accountability and responsibility.
- Turness denied allegations of institutional bias at the BBC but acknowledged mistakes, stepping down to protect the BBC’s reputation.
- Some BBC insiders suspect political motives behind the criticism, linking it to efforts to shift the BBC’s stance, dating back to Boris Johnson’s government.
- Robbie Gibb, a BBC board member and former Theresa May aide, reportedly pushed for Prescott’s appointment as an external adviser.
- Both Davie and Turness received support from the BBC board, but pressure led to their resignations.