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British Broadcasting Company director-general Tim Davie has resigned after the network shared doctored footage of President Donald Trump's speech in Washington, D.C., that preceded the Capitol riots by his supporters on January 6, 2021.
Davie, who had been with the BBC for 20 years and worked as director-general for five years, claimed he was taking "ultimate responsibility" for the recent "mistakes" made in a statement shared by the network on Sunday (November 9).
"I wanted to let you know that I have decided to leave the BBC after 20 years," Davie said. "This is entirely my decision, and I remain very thankful to the Chair and Board for their unswerving and unanimous support throughout my entire tenure, including during recent days.
"I am working through exact timings with the Board to allow for an orderly transition to a successor over the coming months.
"I have been reflecting on the very intense personal and professional demands of managing this role over many years in these febrile times, combined with the fact that I want to give a successor time to help shape the Charter plans they will be delivering.
"In these increasingly polarised times, the BBC is of unique value and speaks to the very best of us. It helps make the UK a special place; overwhelmingly kind, tolerant and curious. Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable. While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision.
"Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made and as Director-General I have to take ultimate responsibility."
Davie's departure came after BBC News CEO Deborah Turness resigned after the network's flagship news program, Panorama, spliced together two clips of Trump's January 6, 2021, implying that he directly told his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol during a segment that aired one week before the 2024 presidential election, which "completely misled" viewers. Trump's full quote included him telling his supporters "to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard," but the BCC's segment made the president “‘Say’ things [he] never actually said,” by splicing together footage from its beginning of his speech with a quote nearly an hour later, according to the leaked dossier.
BBC senior executives, as well as the network's chairman, ignored and dismissed several internal complaints about the spliced clip, according to a 19-page memo. Davie had previously faced criticism over editorial failings and perceived bias, having been accused of failing to provide impartial coverage to several topics, which included the war in Gaza and trans issues during the past week.