According to an internal memo reviewed by The Telegraph, the BBC distorted Donald Trump's speech, creating a false impression of his support for the riots at the Capitol. In the Panorama election program aired a week before the U.S. elections, the president allegedly told his supporters that he would "fight for them with all his might," while in reality, he urged them to "peacefully and patriotically express their voices."
A 19-page report on BBC bias notes that the program "forced Trump to say" things he did not say by editing his speech with nearly an hour's difference. The document emphasizes that the BBC's top management, including the chairman, ignored serious complaints from internal oversight bodies.
The president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., accused the BBC of spreading "fake news" and dishonesty. In his post on X, he reprinted an article from The Telegraph, adding: "Fake news journalists in the UK are just as dishonest as those in America!"
The Telegraph is also preparing to publish additional excerpts from a memorandum accusing the BBC's Arabic service of bias in covering the war in Gaza and "effective censorship" of issues related to transgender matters. These allegations raise questions about the BBC's culture and its impact on impartiality, while managers, including CEO Tim Davie, face criticism for ignoring evidence of bias.
The Conservative Party is demanding an urgent investigation into the airing of the Panorama program. Nigel Huddleston, shadow culture minister, stated that these revelations could seriously undermine the BBC's brand and reputation. He added that license fees are justified only under conditions of impartiality and trust.
The most shocking moments concern the special Panorama episode "Trump: A Second Chance?" which aired in October last year. The documentary featured footage of people with flags heading to the Capitol on January 6, 2021, after Trump's speech, creating a false impression of his call to action. In reality, this footage was filmed before his speech.
The report emphasizes that the Panorama program distorted events to such an extent that viewers were left questioning: "Why should we trust the BBC, and where will this end?" In response to this question, management refused to acknowledge any violations of standards. The author of the report warned BBC Chairman Samira Shah about a "very dangerous precedent" set by Panorama, but received no response.
Last month, an internal whistleblower sent a copy of the 19-page letter to all members of the BBC Board of Directors. Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson described this revelation as a "complete disgrace," emphasizing that the BBC doctored footage to create the impression that Trump incited the riots. He questioned whether anyone would take responsibility for this.
Leader of the Reform UK party, Nigel Farage, noted that fewer and fewer people are paying the BBC license fee each year. Former BBC presenter Liz Kershaw also expressed her dissatisfaction, noting that bias among journalists was a serious problem.
Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee, noted that in an environment of low trust in politics and the media, the BBC must cover controversial issues more carefully. These allegations raise serious concerns at a critical time for the BBC, and the Culture, Media and Sport Committee will hold a meeting to discuss the implications.
The revelation of the distortion of Trump's speech could have serious consequences for the BBC's relationship with the White House, as well as complicate negotiations over BBC funding with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. In Panorama, Trump appeared to say: "We will go to the Capitol, and I will go with you. We will fight. We will fight with all our might." However, ominous music played in the background, and footage of people marching to the Capitol was edited without explanations that they did not match the timeline.
The BBC combined three different segments of Trump's speech, creating the illusion of a coherent statement. In reality, the president said: "We will go to the Capitol, and I will be there with you... I know that you all will go to the Capitol building to peacefully and patriotically express your opinion."
About 54 minutes later, when he spoke about the elections, Trump noted that most people would say: "I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart," but he felt that something was wrong, and they would fight.
The BBC advisor who compiled the report compared these violations of impartiality to the earlier "Crowngate" scandal of 2007, when the editing of footage with the Queen led to the resignation of the BBC One director. The bias report was written by Michael Prescott, who worked as an independent consultant on the BBC's Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee.
Prescott, who left his position in June, expressed concern that BBC management was ignoring serious issues and failing to take necessary action. He sent his dossier to the BBC Board of Directors, as previous warnings had been ignored.
In his letter, Prescott noted: "I left [the consultancy position] with deep and unresolved concern about the BBC... I believe that the Executive has repeatedly failed to take action to address identified issues." He criticized Jonathan Munro and Deborah Turness, pointing out the lack of clear action plans.
The special Panorama episode aired on October 28, 2022, and, according to Prescott, was clearly anti-patriotic. He was shocked that there was no similar program about Kamala Harris, Trump's opponent. Prescott raised concerns in the EGSC, and David Grossman was tasked with reviewing the program.
Grossman also expressed concern about the editing of Trump's speech. Prescott noted that Panorama spliced different parts of the speech, creating a distorted representation of what was said. There were no indications suggesting editing or discrepancies.
Prescott emphasized that such editing was improper, and the absence of calls for violence from Trump was one of the reasons for the lack of federal charges. The programs also included a warning from a police dispatcher about the arrival of Trump supporters.
The documentary prepared by Matthew Hill remained on iPlayer for a year before being removed. Prescott stated that issues with the program were raised, but management ignored them. As a result, the continuation of editing without regard for editorial policy undermines trust in the BBC.
At the EGSC meeting, Munro claimed that there was no intention to mislead the audience; however, Prescott refuted this, citing "Crowngate." Turness attempted to justify the editing by referring to Congressional findings, but Prescott noted that this could not serve as justification.
At the meeting, neither the CEO nor the chairman commented on the defense of the edited clips. Prescott was so alarmed that he sent an email to the BBC chairman warning of potential consequences.
In September, he reiterated his concerns as the BBC continued to ignore issues raised in Panorama and other cases of bias. The parliamentary committee may summon Nandy for an investigation, and BBC management may be called to testify.
The "Crowngate" scandal led the BBC to commission a report. Will Wyatt concluded that the editing was done carelessly, resulting in the resignation of the BBC One director. Prescott declined to comment on the situation.
A BBC spokesperson noted that the corporation takes feedback seriously and conducts thorough analysis. The BBC adheres to principles of impartiality, honesty, and accuracy.
