BBC tells staff they cannot quote Trump line removed from Reith Lecture
14 days ago
- #BBC censorship
- #Donald Trump
- #media ethics
- BBC removed a line from Rutger Bregman's Reith lecture where he called Donald Trump 'the most openly corrupt president in American history'.
- The BBC cited legal advice for the removal, following Trump's threat to sue the BBC for $5bn over a Panorama edit of his Capitol riot speech.
- BBC journalists are barred from quoting the removed line even in news coverage about the censorship decision.
- Bregman criticized the BBC's self-censorship, calling it a symptom of institutions fearing those in power.
- The BBC's handling of the Panorama edit led to resignations of senior executives and internal disputes.
- Conservative MP Caroline Dinenage labeled the BBC's caution as a regrettable result of past editing mistakes.
- Former Financial Times editor Lionel Barber condemned the BBC's decision as weak and against editorial principles.
- Dinenage suggested BBC chair Samir Shah should remain despite concerns over bias allegations and internal chaos.