London: The BBC is facing a big crisis after two of its top leaders resigned. Director General Tim Davey and CEO Deborah Terence left their jobs following a controversy about a documentary on US President Donald Trump.
The program showed parts of Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech edited together. The way it was shown made it look like he was telling his supporters to march on Capitol Hill and resist violently. The documentary aired just one week before the US election last year.
Critics said the BBC failed to stay neutral in its reporting. A leaked report in The Telegraph added more pressure, saying the broadcaster also showed bias in its coverage of the Gaza war and faced problems in reporting on trans issues.
Sources say the BBC is now thinking about giving a formal apology. The White House has already called the BBC a “propaganda machine.”
Reacting to the resignations, President Trump thanked The Telegraph and said,
“Finally, the truth has come out.”
The resignations of both the Director General and CEO at the same time are rare. They raise serious questions about how the BBC will handle trust and fairness in the future.