BBC director-general Tim Davie and CEO of News at the outlet, Deborah Turness, have resigned from the network on Sunday after facing criticism and calls for resignation following an edit of a speech given by President Donald Trump.
Many accused the BBC Panorama documentary Trump: A Second Chance? of being misleading after The Telegraph reported that two parts of the speech were edited together so that Trump appeared to encourage the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment via email on Sunday.
Why It Matters
Their resignation comes after the chair of the UK Parliament’s Culture, Media, and Sport Committee wrote BBC chair Samir Shah on November 4 about the coverage, editorial standards at the BBC, and what actions the outlet is taking to address the concerns.
Davie has been at the BBC for 20 years, serving as the director-general since 2020, and Turness has been at the outlet since 2022.
What To Know
In a statement released by the BBC on behalf of Davie, he took responsibility for what he called “mistakes” in BBC’s coverage saying in part, “Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable. While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision.”
The statement concluded, “Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as Director-General I have to take ultimate responsibility.”
There have been other bias complaints hurled at the BBC, with the network facing accusations of bias in their reporting on the war in Gaza.
What People Are Saying
BBC chair Samir Shah said on Sunday: “This is a sad day for the BBC,” later adding, “The whole Board respects the decision and the reasons for it.”
What Happens Next?
In his Sunday statement, Davie said that he is “working through exact timings with the Board to allow for an orderly transition to a successor over the coming months.”
This is a breaking news story. Updates to come.
Update 11/9/25, 2:25 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 11/9/25 1:41 p.m. ET: This story has been updated with more information.
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