The BBC has acknowledged receiving a legal threat from U.S. President Donald Trump over the controversial editing of a Panorama program that allegedly made it appear he endorsed violence.
BBC Chair Samir Shah issued an apology for what he called an “error of judgment,” following the weekend departures of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness, both of whom resigned amid the controversy.
In a letter to Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Shah addressed multiple concerns about bias at the broadcaster. These issues were detailed in a memo by Michael Prescott, a former external advisor to the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee (EGSC), which was subsequently leaked to the Daily Telegraph.
Prescott’s memo alleged “anti-Israel bias” within BBC Arabic’s coverage, claiming that several contributors selectively reported stories critical of Israel.
Shah pushed back against interpretations suggesting the BBC had attempted to conceal these issues. “Some of the coverage of Mr Prescott’s memo has implied that he has ‘uncovered’ a list of stories and issues that the BBC have sought to ‘bury.’ That interpretation is simply not true,” Shah wrote. He emphasized that the EGSC had already been examining these concerns as part of its regular oversight duties.
Shah clarified that Prescott’s memo represented only his perspective from the meetings he attended, not a complete record of internal discussions. He noted that the BBC has taken corrective action based on EGSC findings, including published corrections, editorial guidance updates, and structural changes.
Regarding BBC Arabic specifically, Shah outlined several reforms: a restructured team, the appointment of a new Arabic-speaking Head of Editorial Quality and Standards in the World Service, and the creation of a social media research unit to verify contributors appearing on the service.
