A leaked internal memo has accused the BBC’s Panorama of deliberately editing President Donald Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech to suggest he incited the Capitol riot, a claim denied by the broadcaster.
Michael Prescott, a former independent adviser to the BBC’s Editorial Standards Committee, alleges that the programme spliced together separate parts of the speech, nearly an hour apart, to create a misleading impression. The edited clip made Trump appear to say, “We’re gonna walk down to the Capitol…and I’ll be there with you. And we fight, we fight like hell,” while the original speech emphasised peaceful protest and cheering on senators.
Prescott’s 19-page report criticises senior BBC executives for ignoring complaints raised by the internal standards watchdog, calling the edits “completely misleading” and warning of a dangerous precedent.
The controversy erupted just before the 2024 U.S. presidential election, intensifying scrutiny of the BBC’s impartiality and editorial integrity. Nigel Huddleston, shadow culture secretary, condemned the incident as deliberate misinformation that could damage the BBC’s reputation, demanding an apology and thorough investigation.
The Panorama episode’s editing portrays Trump’s words out of context, mixing his calls for peaceful demonstration with his metaphorical exhortations to contest alleged election fraud. This distortion contributed to debates over media trustworthiness and political bias in a highly charged period.
The BBC declined to comment directly on the leak but said it takes all feedback seriously and routinely reviews differing editorial opinions internally. The scandal has drawn criticism from Trump supporters, including Donald Trump Jr., who called the BBC dishonest.
The case shows ongoing tensions around media impartiality, especially for publicly funded broadcasters like the BBC, whose credibility relies on fair and accurate reporting. The leaked memo also touches on other BBC editorial controversies, including bias allegations in its Arabic service.