Lisa Nandy says she still has confidence in BBC leaders after Trump speech edit | BBC

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy says she maintains confidence in the BBC’s leadership as she prepares to apologize for the way it edited Donald Trump’s speech.

The company’s chairman, Samir Shah, is set to apologize tomorrow for an edit that appeared in an edition of Panorama. The issue was one of a number of criticisms raised in a letter to the BBC’s board by a former external adviser.

The Commons culture, media and sport select committee asked the BBC for its response to the matter, as well as other accusations raised in a letter from Michael Prescott, the former independent external adviser to the editorial guidelines and standards committee (EGSC). He left this role in the summer.

Nandy said he remained confident that BBC director general Shah and Tim Davie, who had not yet spoken on the issue, would address the issue.

“I have every confidence that both BBC chief Samir Shah and Tim Davie are treating this issue with the seriousness it requires,” he said. “I want to see this reaction from the select committee and of course I will consider it and have further discussions with them about the action they have taken.

“A number of very serious allegations are being made, the most serious of which is that there is systemic bias in the way difficult issues are covered on the BBC. I spoke to the chairman this week and I am confident he is treating this issue with the seriousness it deserves.”

He also warned that the BBC now operates in a world where audiences find it increasingly difficult to separate fact from political opinion.

“Increasingly, they are operating in a news media environment where news and facts are blurred by polemics and opinions, and I think that creates a very, very dangerous environment in this country where people cannot trust what they see,” he told the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday.

The Panorama edition, published a week before the US elections, compiled clips of Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021. In the edit, Trump was alleged to have told the crowd: “We’re going to march to the Capitol and I’ll be there with you and we’re going to fight. We’re fighting like crazy.”

The quotes were taken from parts of his speech almost an hour apart. The incident led to criticism of the BBC this weekend, with Donald Trump’s press secretary describing it as “100% fake news” and a “propaganda machine”.

Prescott’s letter was forwarded to the Daily Telegraph and its contents were revealed over the past week. There were also accusations of bias in the BBC’s coverage of Gaza and issues related to trans rights. BBC criticized Arabic and said it featured contributors expressing antisemitic views.

Shah is expected to apologize for the Trump edit. Others at the BBC also admit they made mistakes.

But there are also concerns at the BBC that criticism of Prescott is being used by his political opponents to destabilize him and shift his coverage to the right at a crucial time as he enters sensitive negotiations with the government over his future.

Some point to an effort to change the BBC politically, dating back to Boris Johnson’s time in government. The Guardian was told that the man pushing for Prescott to be given an advisory role was BBC board member Robbie Gibb, Theresa May’s former communications chief, who helped set up right-wing broadcaster GB News.

Gibb was first elected to the BBC board while Johnson was in government. Gibb and Prescott were previously reported to be friends. Gibb was on a four-person interview panel that appointed Prescott.

Johnson told the Guardian that any attempt to undermine the BBC was “utter nonsense”. Prescott said in his letter that his criticisms “did not come with any political agenda.”

A BBC spokesman said: “[The editorial adviser roles] “The external advertisement was advertised as part of the BBC’s open and fair competition process and Michael Prescott was interviewed by a panel of board members who made the collective decision to appoint him.”