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The government has told the BBC to “apologise” to the US President for editing his speech on 6 January as Donald Trump is threatening to sue the corporation for $1 billion.
Local government minister Alison McGovern said that the BBC must apologise to Trump as the corporation spliced clips together of the President’s speech.
She was asked if the BBC should say sorry, McGovern said, “If they have made an editorial mistake, then they should apologise.
“The BBC is probably chock-full of policies on what they should do when they make editorial mistakes and I think they should stick to it.”
A Number 10 spokesman said, “This is a matter for the BBC.”
He added, “It’s clearly not for the Government to comment on any ongoing legal matters.
The spokesman was asked if the government will help to pay towards any damages that a court could award the US President.
He replied, “Obviously, that’s a hypothetical question.
“Again, it’s not for the Government to comment on any ongoing legal matters.
“Our position is clear: The BBC is independent and it’s for the corporation to respond to questions about their editorial decisions and, more broadly, we have a close relationship with the US on shared priorities, including security.”
The BBC has until Friday which is the US President’s deadline to retract “false” and “defamatory” statements that was made in the Panorama documentary, or they will be sued for $1 billion.
Shadow culture secretary Nigel Huddleston hinted that the BBC should “grovel” to the US President over their mistake as Trump has branded the corporation of pushing out “Fake News.”
Huddleston told Time Radio, “If you look at the complaint he’s got, the Panorama programme, he probably has legitimate claims to say, look, this was wrong and definitely requires and demands an apology.
“So I would advise the BBC to grovel here.”
It has been reported that the BBC could refuse to apologise, McGovern suggested that this is being overblown.
She said, “The question I have is, has there been bad editing here? Has there been issues?” she said.
“If there has, the answer to that is to get better editing and to invest in quality journalism and sort the problems out.
“I don’t think we need to have a national meltdown about this.
“I think we need to make sure that the BBC, one of our most trusted media organisations, invests in quality journalism and tells the stories that we all want to hear.”
Director-general Tim Davie resigned on Sunday along with chief executive of BBC News Deborah Turness.
Davie said that BBC staff must “stand up for our journalism” and saying the corporation will control their own narrative, this “will not just be given by our enemies.”
Davie told BBC staff, “We have to be very clear and stand up for our journalism. We are a unique and precious organisation, and I see the free press under pressure, I see the weaponisation. I think we’ve got to fight for our journalism.
I’m really proud of our work, and the amazing work locally, globally, that we’re doing is utterly precious.
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