Britain’s BBC looking into allegations over another Trump speech edit
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Britain's Telegraph newspaper has alleged that the BBC's Newsnight programme selectively edited footage of a speech by US President Donald Trump.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
- The BBC faces a major crisis after accusations of bias in editing a Trump speech in a Panorama documentary.
- Trump threatens a $1 billion lawsuit, demanding retraction, apology, and compensation for reputational harm by Friday.
- Newsnight is also accused of similar editing, prompting a BBC investigation to uphold "highest editorial standards".
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LONDON - Britain’s BBC said on Nov 13 it was looking into fresh allegations, published in The Telegraph newspaper, over the editing by another of its programmes of a speech by US President Donald Trump.
The British Broadcasting Corporation has been plunged into its biggest crisis in decades after two senior leaders resigned following accusations of bias, including in the way a speech by Mr Trump was edited in a Panorama documentary.
Mr Trump has threatened a US$1 billion (S$1.3 billion) lawsuit against the public broadcaster over that film.
The Telegraph, which initially broke that story, reported on Nov 13 that another BBC programme, Newsnight, also selectively edited footage of the same speech, in a report broadcast in June 2022, two years before Panorama’s edit.
The paper said the Newsnight edit was similar to the Panorama version.
“The BBC holds itself to the highest editorial standards,” a BBC spokesperson said, in response to the latest Telegraph report.
“This matter has been brought to our attention and we are now looking into it.”
The BBC apologised on Nov 10 for the Panorama documentary, which spliced together three parts of a Trump speech on Jan 6, 2021, the day his supporters stormed the Capitol,
His lawyers said the BBC must retract its documentary by Nov 14 or face a lawsuit for “no less” than US$1 billion.
They also demanded that the BBC issue an apology and compensate Mr Trump for what it said was “overwhelming reputational and financial harm”, according to a letter, seen by Reuters.
The BBC has said it is considering how to respond. REUTERS
