The resignations come after revelations that the broadcaster manipulated footage of President Trump during coverage of the January 6 events.
The BBC has been rocked by a major scandal following the resignations of Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness, after an internal investigation revealed that the network fraudulently altered footage of President Donald Trump related to the January 6 Capitol events.
According to official statements, both executives stepped down “effective immediately” after admitting editorial failures in the handling of a video segment that had been digitally modified to include misleading audio and visual elements. The manipulation, discovered by independent auditors during a routine content review, prompted a storm of political backlash in both the U.K. and the U.S.
The BBC’s governing board confirmed that the doctored clip had been broadcast in an international segment earlier this year and that it “did not meet the corporation’s editorial or ethical standards.” The organization issued a formal apology, calling the incident “a profound violation of trust.”
“This is a dark day for the BBC,” Davie said in his resignation statement. “We take full responsibility for what happened and understand that our credibility has been damaged.”
Turness also released a statement, describing the manipulation as “unacceptable and contrary to the values of BBC journalism,” adding that she was stepping down “to allow the institution to rebuild its integrity.”
The U.K. Parliament’s Culture, Media, and Sport Committee has announced plans to hold hearings into the matter, while U.S. officials have demanded clarification about how the altered footage made it to air.
The resignations mark one of the most serious credibility crises in the BBC’s 100-year history, raising questions about editorial oversight, political bias, and accountability within one of the world’s most respected public broadcasters.
