USA, Nov 11: Donald Trump has warned of a $1 billion lawsuit against the BBC after accusing the broadcaster of misleading editing in a Panorama documentary. His legal team has given the BBC until 14 November to issue what they call a “full and fair retraction” over how his 6 January 2021 speech was portrayed. The complaint claims the program stitched together two separate parts of Trump’s remarks to make it seem he directly urged supporters to storm the US Capitol after his election loss, according to the BBC.
The controversy follows a leaked internal memo that admitted the edit could have misled viewers. The memo, written by Michael Prescott, a former adviser to the BBC’s editorial standards committee, also accused the broadcaster of bias in its coverage of Gaza, Trump, Israel, and transgender issues.
Mounting pressure from these revelations led to the resignations of the BBC’s director general Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness, who denied the organization was “institutionally biased,” as reported by the BBC.
BBC chair Samir Shah later acknowledged that the Panorama edit represented an “error of judgement.” He said the edited version gave the impression of a “direct call for action,” and the corporation would like to apologize for it. But Shah denied allegations that the memo exposed problems the BBC had tried to hide, saying the broadcaster had already been addressing issues raised. He confirmed that more than 500 complaints had been received since the memo became public, the BBC reported.
Edit, edit, edit
Trump’s lawyers, led by Alejandro Brito, accused the BBC of making “false, defamatory, and inflammatory statements” about the former president, arguing that the edit violated Florida’s defamation laws.
The letter demanded both a public apology and compensation. The BBC’s internal correspondence shows that its editorial committee had reviewed the Panorama edit in January and May as part of a wider review of US election coverage, with concerns voiced but no formal action taken at the time, as cited by the BBC.
Shah explained that the segment was edited to help viewers understand how Trump’s words were interpreted by his supporters during the Capitol riot.
He admitted, however, that “with hindsight, it would have been better to take more formal action.” In the original speech, Trump said supporters would “walk down to the Capitol” and “cheer on” lawmakers. But in the Panorama edit, he appeared to say, “We fight. We fight like hell,” creating the impression of incitement. The two quotes were taken more than 50 minutes apart, according to the BBC.
Tim Davie said that while the debate around the edit contributed to his decision to resign, it was not the only factor. Deborah Turness also defended BBC staff, calling them “hardworking people who strive for impartiality,” though she acknowledged that “mistakes are made.” The prime minister’s office backed her, saying it did not believe the BBC was “institutionally biased.” Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, on the other hand, said the corporation had “serious questions to answer,” describing the editing controversy as a “real problem,” the BBC noted.
Prescott’s memo also raised concerns about BBC Arabic’s coverage of the Israel-Gaza war and alleged censorship in reporting transgender issues.
Shah responded that a review found most of the BBC’s reporting met standards of impartiality and accuracy, though he accepted there were instances where “the BBC gets things wrong.” He said disciplinary action and guideline updates had followed such cases. He dismissed claims of systemic bias while acknowledging “individual mistakes,” according to the BBC.
Trump’s threat fits his pattern of legal action against media organizations. In July, CBS News and its parent company, Paramount, paid $16 million to settle a lawsuit from Trump over what he claimed was deceptive editing of an interview with Kamala Harris prior to the 2024 election. He has also previously targeted The New York Times, CNN, and the Des Moines Register in similar actions, as reported by the BBC.
