BBC Under Fire: Trump Lawsuit Threat and Leaked Report Trigger Leadership Crisis

 

Former BBC Adviser Clarifies: “BBC Is Not Institutionally Biased” Amid Trump Documentary Controversy

 

 

 

The BBC continues to face turbulence following accusations from former US President Donald Trump, who alleged bias in the editing of a documentary and issued a legal notice seeking five billion dollars in damages. The situation has escalated further after the leak of a report written by one of the BBC’s own former advisers.

 

 

 

 

The former adviser stated that while the broadcaster failed to maintain its editorial standards in the documentary about Trump, he does not believe the BBC is institutionally biased.

 

 

 

 

 

He added that his criticism was aimed at identifying those responsible for the editorial lapse.

 

 

 

Michael Prescott, who conducted an internal review after Trump’s legal threat, reiterated his position on Monday while speaking about the ongoing dispute. The BBC, one of the world’s most influential broadcasters, has often faced criticism from various groups and governments, but never before has it confronted a crisis of this magnitude involving the United States and a sitting or former American president.

 

 

 

 

 

Following the leak of Prescott’s report, BBC Director General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness both resigned. Despite these resignations, Trump’s threat of a multi-billion-dollar lawsuit has pushed the BBC into one of the most serious crises it has faced in decades.

 

 

 

 

 

Prescott told British lawmakers that he does not believe institutional bias exists within the BBC. He praised the professionalism of BBC journalists covering political developments, especially outside Westminster, saying their work is often exemplary. However, he noted that certain systemic issues allowed the recent controversy to emerge.

 

 

 

 

He explained that he had shared his report with the Department for Media and media regulators in hopes that the BBC would be better equipped to address allegations of bias in the future. According to him, changes at the editorial level contributed to the mishandling of the Trump documentary, and there appeared to be little willingness within management to correct what went wrong, despite the seriousness of the consequences.

 

 

 

 

Prescott, a former journalist turned corporate adviser, has previously worked with BBC editors and the broadcaster’s Standards Committee. He also worked closely with the two senior officials who recently resigned.

 

 

 

Responding to a question about BBC Board member Robbie Gibb, Prescott said there was no collusion between them in preparing the report. “That claim is false,” he said. “Ideologically, I am not aligned with him. I consider myself a centrist.”

 

 

 

The matter continues to unfold as the BBC faces unprecedented scrutiny from both the US and UK.