The BBC is confident that the controversial memo linked to Michael Prescott, which led to the resignation of the Director General and the head of news, was not leaked by its own personnel.
In a communication to Caroline Dinenage, the Chair of the Culture Committee, BBC Chair Samir Shah provided an “update on our leak investigations.” Shah stated in his letter, “After conducting thorough electronic searches and analysis concerning the Prescott memo, we found no evidence indicating that the leak to The Telegraph originated from within the BBC.”
While Shah was careful with his wording, he stopped short of definitively stating that the leak was external. During his testimony to the same committee two weeks prior, Prescott repeatedly denied leaking the memo to the Telegraph, although he did acknowledge sending it to the UK’s communications regulator, Ofcom, and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport.
The memo by Prescott highlighted specific instances of what he perceived as the BBC’s editorial shortcomings, including the notorious edit in a Panorama episode about Donald Trump. This edit was pivotal in prompting the resignations of Director General Tim Davie and news head Deborah Turness. Trump has since threatened to sue the BBC for a minimum of $1 billion, claiming the edit falsely portrayed him as inciting the Capitol riots on January 6.
In response to 18 questions from Dinenage following his committee appearance, Shah’s letter comes at a time when the BBC is navigating one of its most serious crises in recent history.
Shumeet Banerji’s Antarctic Resignation
The resignation of BBC board member Shumeet Banerji also made headlines recently after he stepped down, claiming he was “not consulted” about the circumstances leading to the departures of Davie and Turness.
Today, Shah refuted this claim, explaining he had notified all board members via email the day before the resignations about the need for a board meeting. “Following my email, Mr. Banerji’s office communicated that arranging a call on Saturday was challenging due to his location in the Antarctic,” Shah elaborated.
Regarding whether Banerji’s resignation was leaked to BBC News, which reported the story, Shah mentioned that there was little need for investigation as Banerji had himself “provided a copy of his resignation letter to BBC News.” His term on the board was set to expire at year’s end regardless of his resignation.
“Structured with Trump Supporters at its Core”
Shah addressed various issues during his recent session with the Culture Committee, including discussions with Davie and Turness about their imminent resignations.
The BBC’s director of editorial complaints, Peter Johnston, recently responded to some of Prescott’s criticisms. Johnston disputed the claim that Panorama was biased against Trump, asserting the episode was “structured with Trump supporters at its core,” featuring appearances by Trump’s ardent supporters, the Front Row Joes, numerous times. Johnston emphasized that the program aimed to explore Trump’s widespread appeal and explained the editorial decisions concerning content balance, particularly why a similar feature on [Kamala] Harris was not necessary.
Despite the upheaval caused by his memo, Prescott himself has stated he does not believe the Panorama episode harmed Trump.
Johnston is in the process of preparing a comprehensive review, which will also be made public. The BBC expects to appoint a new Director General and head of news by the beginning of next year.
Daniel Hayes is a business journalist with a focus on market trends, startups, and corporate strategies.
His sharp analysis and investigative reports make complex financial topics accessible to all readers.
