BREAKING: BBC Director General, News Chief RESIGN after Trump doctored footage scandal

BBC director-general Tim Davie and news chief Deborah Turness have resigned following a controversy over edited footage of Donald Trump on the BBC’s documentary series Panorama.

"I wanted to let you know that I have decided to leave the BBC after 20 years. This is entirely my decision, and I remain very thankful to the Chair and Board for their unswerving and unanimous support throughout my entire tenure, including during recent days," Davie said in a resignation statement. "Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as Director-General I have to take ultimate responsibility."

In a separate statement, Turness said, "The buck stops with me."

"The ongoing controversy around the Panorama on President Trump has reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC – an institution that I love," she said. "While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong."

The documentary, which aired shortly before the US election, showed a clip of Trump’s January 6, 2021, speech. According to a 19-page dossier compiled by Michael Prescott, the BBC's former Editorial Guidelines and Standards adviser, the program "doctored" parts of the speech by splicing together parts nearly an hour apart to create the impression that Trump told supporters he was going to walk to the US Capitol with them and “fight like hell.” The video that aired was edited to omit a portion in which Trump urged his followers “to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard.” 

Prescott called the editing "shocking," writing, "This created the impression that Trump said something he did not and, in doing so, materially misled viewers."

The dossier further alleged that even when BBC internal staff raised complaints under the corporation’s own standards, senior executives and the BBC chairman ignored or dismissed them, according to The Telegraph.