🔗 Share this article

Donald Trump's official spokesperson has described the BBC as "completely fake news" and a "biased media outlet" in a blunt interview. This comes claims of bias at the network.

Senior Administration Figure Criticizes BBC Coverage

Karoline Leavitt, a senior figure in the previous US government, stated that viewing BBC bulletins during trips to the UK "ruins" her day. She claimed that taxpayers are "forced to foot the bill for a liberal propaganda machine."

Dispute Over Altered Address

The spokesperson's comments emerged after lawmakers said the corporation had "significant concerns to answer" regarding how a public address by the US president was modified in a BBC Panorama documentary.

A report disclosed to a newspaper indicated that an installment of the news programme "completely misled" viewers by combining two segments of the oration together.

The broadcast depicted the leader saying he would march with his followers to the Capitol prior to the riots on January 6th, encouraging them to "fight like hell". Nevertheless, it excluded a portion of the speech where he advised the assembly "to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard".

“This purposefully dishonest, selectively edited clip by the BBC is further evidence that they are total, 100% fake news that should no longer be worth the time on the television screens of the great people of the United Kingdom.”

Leavitt continued: "Whenever I journey to the United Kingdom with President Trump and am obliged to watch the BBC in our hotel rooms, it mars my day listening to their overt propaganda and lies about the president of the United States and all that he’s doing to make America better and the world a safer place."

Leaked Document Highlights Production Issues

The newspaper reported its coverage was based on a note written by a ex- consultant to the BBC's editorial guidelines committee. The expert left his role recently and has not spoken on the document, understood to have been leaked by a whistleblower.

An extract released read: "It was completely misleading to edit the clip in the way Panorama aired it. The fact that he did not explicitly exhort supporters to go down and fight at Capitol Hill was one of the reasons there were no federal charges for incitement to riot."

Claims of Systemic Issues

The memo reportedly noted that the ex-consultant had expressed worries about how BBC Arabic reported on the war in Gaza.

The outlet said the adviser alleged there were "systemic problems", which had not been addressed by top executives. He supposedly cited "clear disparities" between the coverage of the war on BBC Arabic and on the primary BBC website.

One matter highlighted was the frequent use of analysts who were antisemitic or supportive of the militant group.

Censure of Trans Issues Coverage

The lengthy dossier is also said to have criticised the BBC's coverage of transgender issues, saying the broadcaster had been "influenced by a small group of [staff] promoting the Stonewall view" of gender identity issues and that its LGBT desk would "decline to cover any stories raising difficult questions".

It is said to have claimed that stories posing challenging questions about transgender matters were downplayed, with a "constant drip-feed of biased stories celebrating the trans experience without adequate fairness or objectivity".

BBC Reply

In response, the BBC said: "Although we refrain from discussing disclosed papers, the BBC treats all input earnestly and reviews it thoroughly."

"Michael Prescott is a former adviser to a board committee where differing views and opinions of our coverage are routinely discussed and debated.|He previously advised a panel where varied perspectives on our reporting are regularly examined and contested."