BBC Chair Samir Shah has issued an apology for an “error of judgement” concerning the editing of a clip featuring US President Donald Trump in a Panorama documentary broadcast last year.
In a letter addressed to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Shah acknowledged that the BBC has received over 500 complaints regarding the documentary since the recent publication of a memo which critiqued the aforementioned Panorama edit.
This apology from Shah follows the resignations of BBC Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness, which were announced yesterday.
The full text of Shah’s letter is provided below.
Dear Caroline,
Please find attached a letter for your attention and that of the Committee.
As you are aware, both Director-General Tim Davie and CEO of BBC News, Deborah Turness, tendered their resignations yesterday. As I stated yesterday, both individuals have demonstrated unwavering support and commitment to the BBC.
Tim Davie has served as an exceptional Director-General and a leader not only within the BBC but also within the UK’s broader creative industries. He has guided the BBC with notable integrity, talent, and resilience, effectively transforming the corporation to serve all audience segments. Deborah Turness has been an outstanding leader of BBC News, demonstrating true commitment and a clear vision for the future during unprecedented times. I extend my sincere gratitude to both Tim and Deborah for their dedicated service.
I, along with the BBC Board, remain dedicated to ensuring a seamless transition as we proceed with the appointment of a new Director-General and continue our efforts to serve all audiences while securing the BBC’s future.
The BBC will be making both of these letters public.
Samir Shah
BBC Chair
Dear Caroline,
Thank you for your letter of 4 November.
I wish to formally state the BBC’s position on several issues that have arisen over the past week following the disclosure of a letter to the BBC Board from Michael Prescott, a former external advisor to the BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee (EGSC). In doing so, I will also address the questions outlined in your letter.
You requested a copy of Mr. Prescott’s letter, which is attached.
I would like to clarify that we have given Mr. Prescott’s concerns due consideration and have carefully reviewed the points he raised. The Board addressed Mr. Prescott’s memo at a meeting held on 17 October. Subsequently, I met with Mr. Prescott to discuss the next steps.
It is important to note that some coverage of Mr. Prescott’s memo has suggested that he has “uncovered” a series of stories and issues that the BBC has attempted to “bury.” This interpretation is inaccurate. The issues raised by Mr. Prescott are, in fact, those that have been considered by the EGSC and the Board. The EGSC serves as the primary forum for scrutinizing BBC output when concerns are raised (either internally or externally) and for determining the necessary course of action. In essence, the Committee’s mandate is to examine areas of concern, not areas of success.
While some errors may be isolated incidents, others may indicate underlying issues. This process of review is ongoing. By identifying and addressing these issues and implementing changes, the BBC demonstrates its dedication to continuous improvement.
Another perspective that has emerged suggests that the BBC has taken no action to address these issues. This, too, is inaccurate. During Mr. Prescott’s three-year tenure as an advisor to the EGSC, the BBC has published corrections when errors have occurred, revised editorial guidelines to clarify the BBC’s stance on various issues, implemented leadership changes when underlying problems have been identified, and executed formal disciplinary measures.
During the period in which Mr. Prescott served as an Advisor to the Committee, the BBC produced thousands of hours of exceptional journalism across television, radio, online platforms, both nationally, regionally, and internationally. This does not diminish the importance that the BBC Board places on addressing the concerns raised by Mr. Prescott. However, it is also crucial to maintain a sense of perspective.
Mr. Prescott based his points on research commissioned by the EGSC itself. This response will also draw upon that research. However, Mr. Prescott’s memo reflects his personal account of the meetings he attended. It does not provide a comprehensive overview of the discussions, decisions, and actions that were taken. In addressing the questions you have posed, I aim to rectify this.
Firstly, the EGSC acknowledges that there are instances when the BBC makes errors or when our reporting requires additional context and explanation. This is true in some of the issues mentioned in Mr. Prescott’s letter, where BBC executives fully accepted the findings of the EGSC-commissioned research. These include the car insurance story, the insecure jobs item, the Scarlett Blake case, the ICJ order, and the reporting of casualty figures in Gaza. The actions taken in these areas ranged from publishing corrections and clarifications to issuing new editorial guidelines. In other cases considered by the EGSC, disciplinary action has been taken.
In addition to specific stories, the EGSC also identified concerns regarding underlying issues, such as those within the Arabic service or long-form journalism. These areas have been extensively discussed at the EGSC, and actions have been taken to address these problems. The BBC Arabic Team has been restructured, a new Arabic-speaking Head of Editorial Quality and Standards has been appointed within the World Service, and a new social media research unit has been established to verify individuals appearing on the service. In the UK, BBC News has appointed a new Executive Editor of Editorial Quality and Standards to oversee domestic News output. BBC News will soon appoint a new Director of News Documentaries and Long Form Journalism, who will oversee current affairs output.
The leadership changes outlined above represent a determined effort to address the underlying problems identified by both the EGSC and in Mr. Prescott’s memo. Only through these actions can we ensure broader change, extending beyond the immediate correction of individual stories. We will closely monitor the situation; for example, the EGSC will receive a planned update on BBC Arabic this week. Let me be clear: if these issues persist, we will take further action.
The actions outlined above have followed EGSC discussions where the Committee reached a consensus. Mr. Prescott may have deemed these individual actions insufficient, which is his prerogative. However, it is not accurate to assert that concerns have been ignored or that no action has been taken.
Michael Prescott’s memo presents only a partial account of the evidence that the EGSC received and considered.
For example, regarding the US election section, the EGSC acknowledged an issue with the Iowa poll but also noted that the BBC’s overall polling coverage was “very good, particularly online.”
And concerning the review of sex and gender identity, the EGSC noted that much of the coverage met the BBC’s standards of impartiality and accuracy.
I will now address a specific story: the editing of President Trump’s speech on January 6th in the Panorama program, “Trump: A Second Chance?”
The editing of President Trump’s speech on January 6th has garnered considerable attention. This matter was discussed at EGSC in January 2025 and again in May 2025. Members of the Committee, including Mr. Prescott, expressed concern about the way the program was edited. However, BBC News stated that the purpose of editing the clip was to convey the message of President Trump’s speech so that Panorama’s audience could better understand how it had been received by President Trump’s supporters and what was happening on the ground at that time. This issue was considered as part of a broader review of the BBC’s US Election coverage, commissioned by the Committee, rather than being handled as a specific program complaint, given that it had not generated significant audience feedback and had been transmitted before the US election. Consequently, the point was not pursued further at that time. The points raised in the review were relayed to the Panorama team, including the decision-making behind this edit. In hindsight, more formal action would have been preferable.
Since the publication of Mr. Prescott’s memo, this issue has resulted in over 500 complaints, which are now being addressed through standard procedures. It has also prompted further reflection within the BBC. The conclusion of this deliberation is that we acknowledge that the way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct call for violent action. The BBC apologizes for this error of judgement.
You also posed several questions regarding the high-level review of the effectiveness of the EGSC. I initiated that review in June, prior to Mr. Prescott’s memo. I have engaged in several discussions on how to improve the EGSC processes and operations, including input from Chris Saul’s review work. This work is ongoing.
My intention is to refine and strengthen the process to ensure that the EGSC acts swiftly and monitors the agreed-upon actions to ensure implementation. The plan is to broaden the agenda to encompass all BBC output, as all BBC programming, not just journalism, is governed by editorial guidelines. I will also be modifying the composition of the Committee to better align with its revised role and to ensure clearer accountability. These changes to the EGSC will be presented to the Board in December.
In addition, I would like to outline some further actions:
– The Board will commit to revisiting each and every item outlined in Michael Prescott’s note and taking further action as appropriate. We will be transparent about our conclusions and the actions taken.
– Where we have already implemented measures in response to the original EGSC research, we will repeat those internal reviews to verify that the changes made are leading to material improvements in the output.
– Where we have already acknowledged that items do not meet our editorial standards, we will ensure that amendments are made to the relevant online stories where deemed appropriate.
I want to assure you and the Committee that I am fully committed to ensuring that the BBC champions impartiality. This is more critical now than ever before. All policies and practices implemented to date, as well as those that will be implemented as we reshape the EGSC, will be driven by the need to uphold the highest standards in all our content, whether video, audio, or online.
As Chair, I accept responsibility for this. I trust that this letter demonstrates the significant actions that the BBC has undertaken over the past three years. I will personally ensure that the BBC continues to take the necessary steps in the future to maintain the trust and confidence of the public we serve.
In conclusion, I would like to reaffirm the importance of high-quality, independent journalism in today’s polarized society. There is an increasing need for the public to be informed in an impartial, truthful, and evidence-based manner that they can trust. This is the fundamental mission of the BBC.
Samir Shah
BBC Chair
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