The White House has strongly criticized the BBC after a controversy involving a doctored video in the Panorama program. A leaked internal memo by Michael Prescott, a former adviser to the broadcaster's Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee (EGSC), sheds light on the issue.
Michael Prescott, who served as an independent external adviser for three years before departing in June, submitted a critical dossier to the BBC Board last month. His warnings about editorial malpractice were largely ignored by the standards team.
In the memo, Prescott reveals that the BBC altered a speech by President Donald Trump to falsely suggest he encouraged the Capitol Hill riots. The edited segment aired in October 2024 and misleadingly depicted the President saying he would "walk to the Capitol with [supporters] to fight like hell."
The original speech was distorted to imply incitement, while Trump actually said he would walk with them "to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard."
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the clip as "100 per cent fake news," intensifying international scrutiny of BBC leadership, specifically Tim Davie and Deborah Turness, who now face growing calls for accountability.
The BBC faces severe backlash over misleading video edits, with internal warnings ignored and the White House denouncing the footage as fabricated, highlighting a serious breach in journalistic standards.
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