Outgoing BBC Director-General Tim Davie urged staff to “fight for our journalism” on Tuesday amid political pressure and a looming $1 billion defamation threat from President Donald Trump, according to BBC News and CBS News reports.
Trump’s legal team accused the BBC of defamation over a 2024 Panorama documentary titled “Trump: A Second Chance,” which they claim misleadingly edited footage from Trump’s January 6, 2021 speech.
BBC Director-General Tim Davie resigns, saying “mistakes cost us” and urging staff to “fight for journalism.”
— shorts91 (@shorts_91) November 11, 2025
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The letter demands a retraction, apology, and compensation, warning that failure to comply by Friday will trigger legal action in the U.S.
Davie, who resigned Sunday along with BBC News CEO Deborah Turness, acknowledged an “editorial breach” but defended the BBC’s role as a “unique and precious organization.”
Legal experts, including U.K. attorney Mark Stephens, say Trump’s lawsuit faces long odds since the program was not broadcast in the U.S. Davie said he was stepping down due to “mistakes, pressure, and renewal challenges.”
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