BBC Apologizes to Trump for Misleading Panorama Edit, Rejects $1bn Lawsuit Demand

The BBC has apologized for the controversial editing of Donald Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech, featured in a Panorama documentary that implied a direct call to violence. This apology follows the resignations of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness amid the fallout. Despite the apology and an agreement not to rebroadcast the program, the BBC firmly rejects Trump’s demand for $1 billion in damages, stating there is no basis for defamation. The edited footage mixed-up together parts of Trump’s speech from almost an hour apart, provoking accusations of bias and misleading journalism ahead of the US election. The story continues to unfold amid legal threats and intense public debate raising questions to what true journalism should be and how media entities need to abide by the ethics.