Why have Tim Davie and Deborah Turness resigned from the BBC? | EUROtoday

BBC director-general Tim Davie and CEO of BBC News Deborah Turness have resigned, because the broadcaster seems to shut the door on a scandal-hit interval of its current historical past.

A tumultuous week for the BBC noticed it accused of institutional bias, as criticism flooded in over an edited clip of a Donald Trump speech in a Panorama documentary.

But this was solely the most recent in a collection of controversies and scandals which have scarred the broadcaster in recent times, with accusations of institutional bias levelled on the broadcaster from each side of the political spectrum.

Follow The Independent’s dwell protection of Tim Davie’s resignation right here.

In his resignation assertion, Mr Davie accepted that “there have been some mistakes” throughout his time within the position and emphasised that his selection to go away was “entirely my decision”.

He additionally paid tribute to the organisation, which he stated is of “unique value and speaks to the very best of us” – however accepted the broadcaster is “not perfect and must always be open, transparent and accountable”.

Ms Turness additionally accepted errors had been made, however stated she is “absolutely clear [that] recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong”.

The Independent seems on the full story of Mr Davie’s and Ms Turness’ time on the BBC – and the place all of it went flawed.

Who are Tim Davie and Deborah Turness?

Tim Davie, 58, was appointed as BBC director-general in September 2020.

A former Conservative Party candidate for council elections within the Nineteen Nineties, Mr Davie first joined the BBC as a advertising director in April 2005.

He turned Director of Audio & Music in 2008, sitting on the BBC’s Executive Board, earlier than he took over as appearing director-general in November 2012. He held this place till April 2013, when Tony Hall was appointed.

He served as chief government of BBC Studios earlier than changing into director-general in a everlasting capability.

Deborah Turness had been CEO of BBC News since 2022, the place she oversaw the broadcaster’s information and present affairs output.

She was chargeable for a staff of round 6,000 individuals, broadcasting to virtually half a billion individuals worldwide in additional than 40 languages.

Ms Turness beforehand served as president of NBC News and CEO of ITN.

Why did they resign?

Recent months and years have seen the BBC embroiled in repeated controversies over quite a lot of completely different points.

One key criticism was directed on the BBC from all sides of the political spectrum: impartiality.

This got here to a head up to now week, when the BBC was accused of bias towards Donald Trump amid controversy round a BBC panorama episode referred to as Trump: A Second Chance?

A clip within the programme, broadcast the week earlier than final 12 months’s US election, spliced clips collectively from sections of the US president’s speech on 6 January 2021 to make it seem he instructed supporters he was going to stroll to the US Capitol with them to “fight like hell”.

In the unique speech, Trump stated: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol, and we’re going to cheer on our brave senators and congressmen and women.”

But the edit put the primary a part of that speech with one other part from 50 minutes later, so he was proven saying: “We’re going to walk down to the Capitol… and I’ll be there with you. And we fight. We fight like hell.”

It drew fierce criticism from The White House, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling The Telegraph it “purposefully dishonestly, selectively edited clip by the BBC is further evidence that they are total, 100 per cent fake news that should no longer be worth the time on the television screens of the great people of the United Kingdom”.

Mr Davie stated in his resignation assertion that whereas it was not the one purpose, the “current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision”.

He added: “Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable.”

In her assertion, Ms Turness stated: “The ongoing controversy around the Panorama on President Trump has reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC – an institution that I love.

“As the CEO of BBC News and Current Affairs, the buck stops with me – and I took the choice to supply my resignation to the director normal final night time.”

What has the reaction been?

Mr Davie’s resignation has been welcomed enthusiastically by some parts of the political spectrum and less so by others.

Figures on the right wing have responded on both sides of the Atlantic.

“The TOP people in the BBC, including TIM DAVIE, the BOSS, are all quitting/FIRED, because they were caught ‘doctoring’ my very good (PERFECT!) speech of January 6th,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday evening.

“Thank you to The Telegraph for exposing these Corrupt ‘Journalists.’ These are very dishonest people who tried to step on the scales of a Presidential Election,” he said.

Kemi Badenoch said Tim Davie and Deborah Turness had “finally taken responsibility” but that a “catalogue of serious failures” at the BBC “runs far deeper”.

Nigel Farage, meanwhile, said the resignation of Tim Davie and Deborah Turness must be “the start of wholesale change”.

In contrast culture secretary Lisa Nandy thanked Mr Davie for his “service to public broadcasting over many years” and recognising that he had led the BBC through a “period of significant change and helped the organisation to grip the challenges it has faced in recent years”.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called on the BBC to “turn a new leaf, rebuild trust and not give in to the likes of Nigel Farage who want to destroy it”.

How will Davie’s replacement be chosen?

The director-general will be appointed by the BBC Board, led by chair Samir Shah who is one of 10 non-executive members plus four executive members – including the director-general.

Four of the non-executive members are appointed as members for each of the UK nations.

The course of might be led by the BBC Board’s nominations committee, and it is going to be made below the phrases of the BBC’s Charter, which is drawn up by the federal government.

Mr Davie’s successor would be the 18th director-general in 103 years of the BBC’s existence.