2025-11-11
From the BBC Charter:
"To provide impartial news and information to help people understand and engage with the world around them: the BBC should provide duly accurate and impartial news, current affairs and factual programming to build people’s understanding of all parts of the United Kingdom and of the wider world. Its content should be provided to the highest editorial standards. It should offer a range and depth of analysis and content not widely available from other United Kingdom news providers, using the highest calibre presenters and journalists, and championing freedom of expression, so that all audiences can engage fully with major local, regional, national, United Kingdom and global issues and participate in the democratic process, at all levels, as active and informed citizens"
Whatever one may think of President Trump, to edit a significant speech to his Jan 6 crowd of supporters, conveying a false impression of his intentions, whether deliberately or inadvertently, is clearly a major breach of the BBC Charter on the twin grounds of impartiality and accuracy.
Trump being Trump, the BBC may soon be involved in a difficult high profile lawsuit, as well as impact to its reputation.
Article 56 of the Charter deals with breaches of the terms of the Charter in unexceptional style:
"56. Compliance with Charter and Framework Agreements
(1) The BBC must strictly and faithfully comply with this Charter and the Framework Agreement in force. This includes complying with requirements set out in other documents which have effect by virtue of provisions of this Charter or a Framework Agreement.
(2) Where the BBC fails to comply with paragraph (1) of this article in any respect, anyone who is aggrieved and/or adversely affected may be entitled to seek an appropriate remedy. "
It seems that President Trump has the floor.
I suspect that the BBC might be wise to settle out of court, if they can.
"Ofcom will normally consider a complaint only after the complaint has been in the first instance
resolved by the BBC"
So Ofcom are unlikely to be in the forefront of this imbroglio, but will no doubt be following events closely to ensure that the BBC takes all necessary measures to prevent similar situations arising in the future.
On an unrelated topic, the Charter is clear that the BBC is responsible for the effective collection of the TV licence fee:
"The Board must secure the effective and efficient management of the finances of the BBC by, in particular—
(a) ...
(b) ensuring that arrangements for the collection of the licence fee are efficient, appropriate and proportionate. "
