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Outgoing BBC Director-General Tim Davie has delivered a forceful final plea to staff, urging them to “fight for our journalism” against what he described as the “weaponisation” facing the free press globally.
His address comes as the broadcaster faces a severe internal and external crisis, triggered by a $1 billion lawsuit threat from President Donald Trump.
The high-stakes legal action stems from a documentary edit that Trump alleges misleadingly implied he had directly urged “violent action” just before the 2021 US Capitol assault.
The intense controversy has already seen significant leadership fallout, leading to the resignations of both Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness.
Despite the turmoil, Davie acknowledged the BBC had made “some mistakes” but expressed confidence that the institution would ultimately “thrive.”
The external legal challenge has simultaneously exposed deep internal divisions on the BBC’s board and renewed accusations of institutional bias.
These concerns were compounded by a recently leaked memo detailing editorial issues, particularly regarding the coverage of the Gaza war and trans issues.
This confluence of crises arrives at a highly critical juncture for the corporation.
The BBC must soon renegotiate its Royal Charter, the statutory document governing its existence and operations. This necessity places Prime Minister Starmer’s Labour government in an unenviable position, requiring them to support the independence of the public service broadcaster while simultaneously navigating strained diplomatic relations with the United States.
