An internal memo has accused the BBC of breaching impartiality over a Panorama episode that allegedly distorted Donald Trump’s words from his January 6 speech.The BBC is under fire after a leaked internal memo accused its flagship investigative programme Panorama of misleading viewers by editing Donald Trump’s 2021 Capitol riot speech in a way that changed its meaning. The one-hour episode, titled Trump: A Second Chance?, aired in October 2024—just a week before the US election—and allegedly spliced two separate sections of the former president’s address to make him appear to call for violence.The controversyMichael Prescott, a former adviser to the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee, submitted a 19-page dossier to the BBC board alleging “shocking” breaches of impartiality. He said the episode had “completely misled” viewers by merging Trump’s calm call to “peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard” with his later exhortation to “fight like hell”, which referred to contesting the 2020 election results.Prescott claimed that an internal review led by senior adviser David Grossman supported his concerns, but that BBC executives rejected the findings. Jonathan Munro, the BBC’s senior controller of news content, reportedly defended the broadcast, saying it was standard practice to shorten long speeches for context. Prescott countered that the splicing “set a very, very dangerous precedent.”Why it mattersThe BBC’s credibility rests on its reputation for balance and accuracy. Allegations that its own editorial staff manipulated footage from one of the most consequential political moments in recent American history threaten to undermine that reputation. The timing—days before a US presidential election—only magnified the fallout.The reactionTrump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., blasted the BBC on social media, accusing British journalists of being “as dishonest as the ones in America.” The broadcaster declined to comment directly on the leak, saying only that it “takes all feedback seriously” and routinely debates differing views on coverage.The bottom lineThe memo adds to growing scrutiny of the BBC’s editorial judgement at a time when public trust in media is fraying worldwide. For an organisation built on the promise of impartiality, the question now isn’t just whether Panorama got it wrong—but whether the BBC still knows how to get it right.
