The Daily Populous Monday November 10th, 2025 morning edition
Authored by theguardian.com and submitted by Alluring_Maidens

Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, and the head of BBC News have resigned after a former adviser to the corporation accused it of “serious and systemic” bias in its coverage of issues including Donald Trump, Gaza and trans rights.

In an announcement that caused shock within the corporation, Davie said his departure was “entirely my decision” and it comes as the BBC prepares to apologise for the way it edited a Trump speech.

Deborah Turness, the head of BBC News, has also resigned. Sources within that department described a mood of dismay at Turness’s exit. “It feels like a coup,” one said. “This is the result of a campaign by political enemies of the BBC.”

It is a huge moment for the corporation, as it heads into critical talks with the government over its future and funding. The hunt is now on to fill two of the biggest roles in British media.

The BBC chairman, Samir Shah, is also expected to apologise for the way the speech by Donald Trump was edited for Panorama.

The Commons culture, media and sport select committee had set a Monday deadline for the BBC to respond to the claims made by Michael Prescott, a former independent external adviser to its editorial guidelines and standards committee. He left that role in the summer.

Prescott criticised the editing of Trump’s speech in an edition of Panorama, which spliced together clips from an address the US president made on 6 January 2021. The edit suggested Trump told the crowd: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol and I’ll be there with you, and we fight. We fight like hell.”

The words were taken from sections of his speech almost an hour apart. The incident has led to criticism of the BBC by Karoline Leavitt, Trump’s press secretary, who described the corporation this weekend as “100% fake news” and a “propaganda machine”.

On Sunday night Leavitt appeared to celebrate the departures, referring on X to her complaints about the BBC’s treatment of the US president’s speech.

Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that “very dishonest people” had “tried to step on the scales of a Presidential Election”, adding: “On top of everything else, they are from a Foreign Country, one that many consider our Number One Ally. What a terrible thing for democracy!”

In a note to staff, Davie said he had retained the “unswerving and unanimous support” of the BBC’s board and its chair, Samir Shah, throughout. However, he said the current accusations had contributed to his decision.

“Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable,” he said.

“While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision. Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as director general I have to take ultimate responsibility.”

Davie’s departure comes after a torrid year in which the BBC has been criticised over the comments of its former presenter Gary Lineker, the livestreaming of a Glastonbury festival performance of the rap punk duo Bob Vylan, and criticisms over a Gaza documentary.

The departures of Davie and Turness appear to be an attempt to protect the BBC from further attacks following Prescott’s criticisms, which he made in a letter to the BBC’s board.

View image in fullscreen Deborah Turness said: ‘In public life leaders need to be fully accountable, and that is why I am stepping down.’ Photograph: Richard Kendal/RTS/PA

Shah said Davie’s departure was a “sad day” for the BBC. “He has had the full support of me and the board throughout,” he said. “However, I understand the continued pressure on him, personally and professionally, which has led him to take this decision today. The whole board respects the decision and the reasons for it.”

The Prescott letter, which was passed to the Daily Telegraph, also condemned BBC Arabic for using contributors who had expressed antisemitic views. It included the views of a contributor who had previously stated online that Jews should be burned “as Hitler did”. The BBC has previously said he should not have been featured in the way he was.

Another featured contributor had described Jews online as “devils”. The BBC said in May that the person had been barred from being a contributor in future.

The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, had said she was confident that Shah and Davie were “treating this with the seriousness that this demands”.

In her departure note to staff, Turness said: “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.

“As the CEO of BBC News and current affairs, the buck stops with me. In public life leaders need to be fully accountable, and that is why I am stepping down.”

However, she used her departure statement to push back on Prescott’s allegations of general bias at the corporation. “While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong,” she said.

The Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, said the corporation needs “to turn a new leaf”, the Conservative party leader, Kemi Badenoch, called for “top-to-bottom” reform and Reform UK’s leader, Nigel Farage, said it was the BBC’s “last chance”.

While many BBC figures believe Prescott’s letter refers to some genuine errors, there is also concern it is being used by its political opponents.

Some BBC figures point to an effort to shift the corporation politically, dating back to Boris Johnson’s time in government. The Guardian has been told Prescott’s appointment as an external adviser had been pushed by the BBC board member Robbie Gibb, Theresa May’s former communications chief who helped set up the rightwing broadcaster GB News.

Gibb was first placed on the BBC board during Johnson’s time in government. Gibb and Prescott have previously been reported as being friends. Gibb was on a four-person interview panel that appointed Prescott.

Johnson told the Guardian that any suggestion of an attempt to undermine the BBC was “complete and utter bollocks”. Prescott said in his letter that his criticisms “do not come with any political agenda”.

VesaAwesaka on November 9th, 2025 at 20:51 UTC »

Not sure if it's just me, but BBC coverage definitely feels like it changed it the last 5 years. Seems less apolitical and factual. More emotional, along with chasing trends.

I use to read the BBC every day, and it was a refreshing change from news in North America. It increasingly has started to feel cheap and less professional.

Meet-me-behind-bins on November 9th, 2025 at 19:42 UTC »

Good. It’s not as though there isn’t enough bollocks going on without having to embellish stuff.

scapesober on November 9th, 2025 at 18:49 UTC »

Good, misinformation is damaging no matter who you support.