Ex-adviser Says BBC ‘Not Institutionally Biased’, but Does Have Editorial Failings

Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. A former BBC editorial adviser says the broadcaster is not institutionally biased, though he told British politicians it does have editorial failings. It comes after a leaked memo revealed the BBC has selectively edited one of President Trump's speeches and made it appear he called for violence by splicing together completely separate parts of his speech. Entity's international correspondent Malcolm Hudson has more. The corporation now faces a1 billion lawsuit from the president of one of our closest allies. I don't need to spell out to you the seriousness of this uh for everybody in the room or those watching, but suffice to say, it can't be overstated what is a critical time for the BBC and public service broadcasting in general. >> The author of a report that plunged the BBC into crisis said the broadcaster was not institutionally biased, but did have editorial failings. Former BBC editorial adviser Michael Prescott's leaked dossier cited failings in the editing of a Trump speech and allegations of bias in the BBC's coverage of the Israel Hamas war and transgender issues. Prescott said he hoped his criticisms would help fix the corporation. >> If it had found that it had been Kla Harris misrepresented, not Donald Trump, I would have acted in exactly the same way because I don't want the BBC's coverage skewed this way or that way. I just want it to be impartial, accurate, and fair. >> A documentary by BBC's Panorama Show spliced together two parts of Trump's speech from January 6th, 2021, the day of the capital breach. The edit gave the impression Trump had made a direct call for violent action by putting together two sound bites that were 54 minutes apart and said in completely different contexts. Prescott said there was an issue of denial at the BBC. >> The the management did not accept there was a problem either overall with the US presidential coverage or with the Panorama program. Simple as that. >> The leaked report led to the resignation of two BBC chiefs. Trump has threatened to sue the broadcast for defamation for anywhere between 1 and 5 billion. The BBC has apologized and retracted the Panorama episode, but says it does not believe there is a basis for the defamation claim. Prescott initially declined to comment on the merits of the claim, but was pressed further. >> I've just realized you didn't quite answer my last question. Do you agree that Donald Trump's reputation has been tarnished by this documentary? >> Probably not. >> The Federal Communications Commission is investigating the BBC over the speech edit. The FCC said the BBC depicts President Trump voicing a sentence that Trump never uttered, saying that that appears to meet the definition of publishing a materially false and damaging statement. Malcolm Hudson, NTD News, UK.