The president and news director of the British public broadcaster BBC have resigned amid allegations that they manipulated and aired a speech by U.S. President Donald Trump.
On November 9 (local time), the BBC announced that Tim Davie, President, and Deborah Turness, News Director, would step down.
In a statement, President Davie said, "The BBC is performing well overall, but there have been some mistakes, and as president, I must take ultimate responsibility." News Director Turness also stated that the ongoing controversy "has reached a point where it is damaging the BBC" and added, "The responsibility lies with me."
The BBC has faced allegations that it deliberately edited President Trump's speech from January 6, 2021, the day of the U.S. Capitol riot, in its documentary special "Trump: The Second Chance?" aired in October last year. The broadcaster is accused of splicing together three parts of President Trump's speech to make it appear as a single sentence, giving the impression that he incited the Capitol riot.
In response, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt strongly criticized the BBC, calling it "100% fake news" and a "left-wing propaganda machine."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
