BBC Chairman Samir Shah Apologises for 'Error of Judgement' in Trump Documentary Edit

The BBC has issued a public apology after its flagship investigative programme, Panorama, faced outrage for misleadingly editing a speech by US President Donald Trump. BBC Chairman Samir Shah admitted on Monday that the broadcaster made an “error of judgement” in the way Trump’s remarks were presented in the documentary Trump: A Second Chance?, which allegedly created a false impression that the President had incited violence.

In a statement to a UK parliamentary committee, Shah acknowledged that the edit gave the misleading impression of a direct call for violent action. “We accept that the way the speech was edited did give the impression of a direct call for violent action. The BBC would like to apologise for that error of judgement,” Shah said. The apology follows the abrupt resignations of BBC Director General Tim Davie and News CEO Deborah Turness, who stepped down on Sunday amid mounting criticism.

The controversy erupted after The Telegraph published excerpts from a leaked internal memo written by Michael Prescott, a former independent adviser to the BBC’s editorial standards committee. Prescott accused Panorama of manipulating footage from Trump’s January 6, 2021, speech by merging two separate clips—delivered more than 50 minutes apart—to make it appear as if Trump had directly encouraged the Capitol riots. The programme, produced by October Films Ltd., aired last year and was part of BBC’s coverage of US politics.

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According to Shah’s statement, the edit was initially intended “to help the audience understand how President Trump’s speech had been received by his supporters and what was happening on the ground at that time.” However, he acknowledged that the execution fell short of the BBC’s editorial standards and that stronger internal action should have been taken when concerns were first raised. “With hindsight, it would have been better to take more formal action,” he noted.

Shah also confirmed that the editing issue was reviewed as part of a broader evaluation of the BBC’s US election coverage, rather than a specific disciplinary case, since the documentary had not triggered significant audience complaints at the time. The BBC’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee has since admitted that the incident highlights the need for more rigorous oversight when editing politically sensitive content.Samir Shah, who was appointed BBC chair in March 2024, said the organisation must do better at upholding its editorial integrity. Meanwhile, President Trump expressed approval of the resignations, calling them “the right move” in remarks posted on social media.

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