The BBC said Thursday that its chairman had sent a letter to US President Donald Trump apologising for a misleading edit of one of his speeches but rejected claims that it constituted grounds for a defamation lawsuit.
The statement followed reports that Britain’s embattled public broadcaster is investigating a possible second instance in which a Trump speech was edited in a misleading manner.
On Monday, the BBC apologised for a documentary aired last year that appeared to show Trump directly urging “violent action” just before the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack by his supporters. The edit sparked a firestorm, leading to the resignations of the BBC’s director-general and top news executive on Sunday, and prompting Trump’s lawyers to threaten a $1 billion lawsuit.
BBC Chair Samir Shah sent a personal letter to the White House, stating that he and the corporation were sorry for the misleading edit. The broadcaster, however, stressed that “while the BBC sincerely regrets the manner in which the video clip was edited, we strongly disagree there is a basis for a defamation claim.” BBC lawyers have formally communicated this position to Trump’s legal team.
As the controversy continues, the BBC said it is now reviewing another edit of Trump’s speech from the day of the Capitol riots. The Telegraph reported that a June 2022 “Newsnight” broadcast may have similarly edited phrases from the speech to make it appear that Trump was urging supporters to “fight like hell” at the Capitol. A BBC spokesperson confirmed the review, saying, “This matter has been brought to our attention, and we are now looking into it.”
The editing controversy comes at a politically sensitive moment for the BBC, which is due to renegotiate its Royal Charter, the framework governing the broadcaster before it expires in 2027. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has sought to balance support for the BBC’s independence with caution in its dealings with Trump.
AFP
