The BBC, The President and that lawsuit
November 12, 2025, 6:33 am , by Richard Lutz
from RICHARD LUTZ
There are a handful of Crown Jewels in the fast emptying cupboard of UK plc.
There’s the Royal family, almost never off the front pages after three decades of scandal, harassment and ructions.
There’s the National Health Service, free at the point of delivery, which is either revered or derided dependent on which side of the political bed you sleep on.
And there’s the BBC, cornerstone of the country’s media.
And it is to the BBC that we turn. This huge and complex edifice faces a $1billion lawsuit. Donald Trump wants revenge for a badly edited news item that changed the message and pitch of a Jan 6th rant on Capitol Hill. We all know details by now.
A couple of things as this developing story inevitably drops off the front page. Firstly, it was a bad error to mangle Trump’s speech to alter the tone of his diatribe. A tv news journalist, a job I used to have, has a commitment to simply offer facts and let the viewer make a decision. To work a slant on a news story is appalling. If that change in the speech was intentional, there should have been a dismissal. If it was ‘a mistake’ (highly unlikely), there was something seriously inept about a line management of the programme that allowed it to go to air.
Secondly and vitally, it is to me inconceivable that two major BBC figures should step down as the Trump tantrums increased. No media should be swayed by what a foreign leader says or believes.
As a matter of fact, no media should be swayed by what a domestic leader says or believes. This is the key issue here; an independent media should listen to major political figures whether in The White House, Downing Street or The Kremlin, but never accede to their demands or threats.
That is always how the BBC operated. When Tim Davie, the director general, and Deborah Turness, the head of news, quit, it raised critical questions about internal politics within the complex inner workings of the organisation. Names were bandied about, most of them honestly unknown to the majority of British viewers….and voters. But were they really part of a Heads Must Roll blitz? Was there really an inner war that caused two leaders to walk away? I doubt it.
Yes, there will always be backroom fights and politics in any large corporations. But Davies and Turness lived and worked in that environment day by day. It was only when Trump howled in the wind did they finally step aside.
And that is sad indeed that a chronic bully from across the Atlantic with his record of manic nonsense and his history of suing or seeking to sue media giants like NBC, Facebook and The Wall Street Journal (owned by Murdoch,by the way) dominate the structure and future of a nation’s prime media voice.
We will know more this Friday when announcements will be made over the Trump libel case. It’s the billion dollar question whether the threat will go ahead.
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Phil Crabtree
Never accede to their demands or threats
Willy Kerr
Great stuff
Shiela Jeffries
Trump and the beeb: Yep, the billion dollar question
Akim Khan
From the Independent newspaper
https://edition.independent.co.uk/edition/uk.co.independent.issue.111125/217177/index.html
David R
Lewis Goodall has some v.interesting comments on internal BBC politics here:
https://goodallandgoodluck.substack.com/p/the-truth-about-impartiality-at-the?r=2a3bhs&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true
Tim K
This is a fight worth fighting for. They should immediately bring those top executives back into the fold. And then take Trump on. OK, give an apology for a spliced speech.
Then get tough. We all own the BBC whether we like it or not. I’ve been trying to figure it out – it’s like “common good” land that we have (or had until corrupt councillors knicked some of it) in every village and town in this country. It’s ours. So “bring it on you f*****”. Let’s take on the bully. There’s about 24 million of us in the UK. At ten quid a pop we would immediately have a huge war chest for the fight. Hang tough and counter sue! This has gone on for far too long and someone needs to make a stand.
Let’s not forget – that day on Capitol Hill was a call to action by a man who was prepared to overturn an election to seize power, based on false claims. People died and hundreds were injured as a result. It was a dangerous moment in American history and yet he got voted back in which is still unbelievable.
This is a dangerous moment. And our government is quietly washing its hands. If Starmer doesn’t see that then he should step down. Fortunately Lisa Nandy does. Get the lawyers ready!
TIM COLGRAVE
Yes, the takeover by plutocrats continues and it’s infuriating that the BBC has offered them a sitting duck to aim at.
Starmer & Shah must show some steel and fight Trump’s threats by all means possible.
“God Save the Beeb” – there’ll be precious little left without it…
TIM COLGRAVE
Well said Tim K
Dr. Peter Kormylo
Donnie Diaper, aka Krasnov, only lives for money-it is the only God he worships.
Alan Holland
I think they absolutely should have resigned. The edit of Trump’s speech was shockingly egregious and very serious indeed. It wasn’t in any way trivial. I saw the programme and was shocked by the false piece they put out. So much so that it lived in my memory when debating with others the true importance of his words as an incentive to rebellion rather than just a few crazies letting off steam and running about Capitol Hill.
That coupled with what we now know of the BBC Arabic coverage of the Middle East conflict, the absurd sanction of the journalist who correctly identified “pregnant people” as women and it just goes on and on.
BBC news is not fit for purpose if that purpose is to offer an unbiased take on public affairs.
Trump is right to sue and he deserves to win.
Carol Cosward
But the BBC must not make grovelling concessions. It’s far too important.
J.B. McLaine
👍
AC/ Calif.
I have been up in the Redwoods away from any news which has calmed my soul until I read this!!!
Tony Fitzpatrick
Good piece on what is arguably one of todays most important issues as we see democracies groan as our journalistic lifeblood is drained. Maybe the Beeb should counter-sue for reputational damage or defamation for Chump calling it leftist, corrupt etc…. let’s go for $2Bn
If he comes for my license fee I’ll be personally considering a challenge… anyone else…??
Tim K
With you all the way Tony!!
Ellen Vannin
All this achieves is to further enable orange man to twist the truth furthermore
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