Britain's major media outlet BBC has officially apologized to former US President Donald Trump. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
This apology was issued following a controversy arising from the edited broadcast of Trump's speech on the "Panorama" program. However, the BBC refused to pay the compensation amount demanded by Trump.
In a statement released on November 13, the corporation expressed regret over how the video material was edited but emphasized that there is insufficient basis to consider the matter as defamation. Samir Shah, Chairman of the BBC Board, acknowledged the mistake and apologized in a special letter sent to the White House.
At the same time, it was announced that the program causing the controversy will no longer be aired or posted on BBC platforms. The dispute was caused by the documentary "Trump: The Second Chance?"
In this film, certain parts of Trump's speech on January 6, 2021, were edited together and presented as a single fragment. This created the impression among viewers that Trump was inciting violence during the Capitol attack.
The White House sharply criticized this editing and accused the BBC of spreading fake news. Trump's lawyers demanded an apology, a retraction, and financial compensation from the corporation.
If these demands were not met, they threatened to file a lawsuit claiming 1 billion dollars. Following the controversy, BBC Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News head Deborah Turness announced their resignations.
Tim Davie acknowledged the mistakes made by staff and stated that he would take overall responsibility. Deborah Turness accepted responsibility for the events and emphasized that journalistic principles had been followed.
The BBC admitted that a mistake was made in this case but noted that there is insufficient legal basis to pay the compensation demanded by Trump. The controversy sparked widespread international discussion.
While Trump supporters sharply criticized the BBC, many journalists positively assessed the corporation's acknowledgment of the error and acceptance of responsibility. Nevertheless, the BBC maintains a firm position on not paying compensation to Trump.
