BBC apologises to Trump for misleading edit in Panorama episode

New Delhi, Nov 14: BBC has issued an apology to US President Donald Trump after acknowledging that a Panorama episode incorrectly edited parts of his 6 January 2021 speech, creating what it called “the mistaken impression that President Trump had made a direct call for violent action,” according to the broadcaster.

However, the corporation has refused his demand for compensation, despite a threat of a $1 billion lawsuit.

The BBC said it would not rebroadcast the 2024 programme, which is at the centre of the controversy. The episode’s fallout has already prompted the resignations of BBC director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness, the BBC reported.  In its Corrections and Clarifications notice published on Thursday evening, the broadcaster said its review found that the edit unintentionally made separate parts of Trump’s speech appear as a single continuous segment. A BBC spokesperson confirmed that its lawyers had responded to a letter from Trump’s legal team, while BBC chair Samir Shah had sent a separate apology to the White House.

The corporation maintained that while it “sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited,” it does not believe there is any basis for a defamation claim. The apology came hours after the Daily Telegraph revealed a second clip, broadcast on Newsnight in 2022, that had also been edited in a similar manner. The BBC said the Panorama edit had spliced together two parts of Trump’s remarks—one in which he spoke about walking to the Capitol and another where he used the phrase “we fight like hell.” The way the video was edited, the broadcaster said, “created the impression” of a direct call to violent action. The BBC reported that Trump’s lawyers have demanded a full retraction, apology and compensation, setting a deadline for the corporation to respond by Friday evening GMT. BBC News said it has approached the White House for comment.