🔗 Share this article

The latest resignations of the BBC's director general and its news chief over allegations of bias have been characterized as an inside "coup" by a former newspaper editor.

David Yelland, who previously edited the Sun publication from 1998 to 2003, claimed during a broadcast that the departures of Tim Davie and Deborah Turness followed methodical weakening by individuals associated with the BBC board over an extended timeframe.

"It constituted a coup, and more serious than that, it represented an inside job. There were individuals inside the corporation, extremely connected to the board ... on the governing body, who have systematically undermined Tim Davie and his senior team over a period of [time] and this has been ongoing for a long time. What transpired recently didn't just happen in isolation," the former editor remarked.

Leadership Breakdown Identified

"What has transpired here is there existed a failure of leadership. I don't hold responsible the leader [Samir Shah] as an person, but the responsibility of the chair of any institution, a corporation – encompassing the BBC – is to maintain their CEO, their senior leader, in role or terminate them. And that has failed to happen, because Tim Davie hadn't been dismissed. He stepped down and so there existed, that represents the essence of, a breakdown of governance."

Context of Recent Controversy

The departures on Sunday followed period of criticism from the White House and rightwing commentators in the UK that were triggered by allegations reported by the Daily Telegraph.

The publication reported a unauthorized account of the conclusions of a former outside consultant to its content standards panel, Michael Prescott, who departed his position during the warmer months.

He had criticized the editing of a speech by Donald Trump in an episode of Panorama, which he asserted made it appear that Trump had encouraged the US Capitol attack. Two sections of the address that were combined together were delivered an hour apart, and the modification failed to mention that Trump had additionally said he wanted his followers to protest peacefully.

Internal Reactions and Outside Viewpoints

Yelland's comments echo a mood of concern described by sources within BBC News on Sunday night, with one stating: "It feels like a coup. This represents the outcome of a campaign by political enemies of the BBC."

Others, encompassing Sky's former political editor Adam Boulton, have stated the general perception that Trump encouraged the event was fundamentally accurate. It is not unusual procedure to edit together sections of a lengthy address to properly condense it.

Transition Arrangements and Organizational Effect

Davie indicated his departure would wouldn't be immediate and that he was "managing" timings to ensure an "smooth transition" over the following months. Turness commented dispute around the Panorama edit had "reached a stage where it is creating damage to the BBC – an organization that I love."

On Monday, the BBC journalist Nick Robinson revealed there had been inaction at the top of the BBC because, while its experienced reporters desired to apologize for the editing error – but maintain there was "no plan to deceive" the audience – the politically appointed leaders preferred to take additional steps.

Political Reaction and Wider Context

Shah is expected to express regret on Monday to the Commons' cultural affairs panel, and to provide additional information on the Panorama program in his reply to the committee, which had asked how he would address the concerns.

Commenting after the departures, the government minister Louise Sandher-Jones dismissed suggestions the BBC was systematically partial. The public service official told Sky News: "When you look at the huge range of domestic matters, local concerns, international issues, that it has to cover, I think its output is highly trusted. When I speak to individuals who've got firmly established opinions on those, they're continuing using the BBC for a lot of their information, it's shaping their perspectives on this."