Why is the BBC expected to apologise over a Donald Trump speech edit? | BBC

What happened?

Details of a “dossier” compiled by Prescott were published in the Telegraph last week. The main criticism of Prescott’s memo focused on an edition of Panorama published a week before the US election. He accused the BBC of selectively editing Trump’s speech.

Prescott also expressed concerns about BBC Arabic. A review by BBC correspondent David Grossman claimed it highlighted “systemic problems within BBC Arabic” representing anti-Israel bias.

The 19-page dossier also reportedly criticized the BBC’s coverage of transgender issues and said the broadcaster had been “taken over by a small group”. [staff] He said he encouraged the Stonewall view on gender identity issues and that the LGBT desk “will refuse to cover stories that raise difficult questions.”

Who is Michael Prescott?

Prescott is a former journalist turned corporate consultant. His roles included serving as chief political correspondent and then political editor of the Sunday Times for 10 years, and as director of corporate affairs at BT for eight years.

He currently holds positions at Hanover Communications and on the BBC committee overseeing editorial guidelines and standards.

Sources told the Guardian that Robbie Gibb, who served as Theresa May’s communications director at Downing Street between 2017 and 2019, was instrumental in Prescott’s appointment as an adviser to the BBC’s broadcasting rules and standards committee. It was stated that the couple was friends. Concerns have previously been raised about the role of Gibb, who joined the BBC board while Boris Johnson was in Downing Street.

What happened with the Trump regulation?

Prescott’s concerns were echoed in Trump: Second Chances, which was broadcast by the BBC a week before last year’s US election. It’s about clips that combine some sections from the US president’s speech on January 6, 2021 for his documentary.

The edited clip suggests Trump telling 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 going to fight like hell.” However, these words were taken from parts of his speech almost an hour apart. The message did not include a section in which Trump said he wanted his supporters to “peacefully and patriotically make their voices heard.”

What was the reaction?

Prescott’s memo led to criticism of the BBC from senior Conservatives. Boris Johnson told the Telegraph that the company’s chief executive Tim Davie “must either explain or resign”. He said the BBC had been “caught red-handed in multiple acts of left-wing bias”.

Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch said “heads should roll”. Johnson posted on social media last week: “Is there anyone at the BBC who will take responsibility and resign?”

Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the BBC as “100 percent fake news” and a “propaganda machine” after the allegations emerged.

Others have attributed the controversy to the right-wing press’s ideological obsession with undermining the BBC.

BBC presenter Nick Robinson told the Today program that there was “real” concern about the broadcaster’s editorial standards and mistakes but believed it was “a political campaign by people who want to destroy the organisation”.

Veteran broadcaster John Simpson said Robinson was “absolutely right”.

British journalist Adam Boulton, the former political editor of Sky News, told X that he thought the allegations of bias in this case were “a hoax”. [bullshit]”, adding that it was “fake news suggesting that Donald Trump did not incite what happened on January 6.”