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The exit of the BBC's chief executive, Tim Davie, due to accusations of partiality has created turmoil through the organization. Davie stressed that the decision was his alone, surprising both the governing body and the conservative press and politicians who had led the attack.

Currently, the departures of both Davie and the CEO of BBC News, Deborah Turness, show that intense pressure can produce outcomes.

The Beginning of the Saga

The crisis started just a seven days ago with the leak of a lengthy memo from Michael Prescott, a ex- political journalist who worked as an external adviser to the broadcaster. The dossier claims that BBC Panorama manipulated a speech by Donald Trump, portraying him to endorse the January 6 protesters, that its Arabic coverage favored pro-Hamas viewpoints, and that a group of LGBTQ employees had excessive influence on reporting of sex and gender.

A major newspaper stated that the BBC's lack of response "demonstrates there is a significant issue".

At the same time, former UK prime minister Boris Johnson criticized Nick Robinson, the only BBC staffer to publicly fight back, while Donald Trump's spokesperson called the BBC "completely unreliable".

Hidden Politically-Driven Motives

Aside from the specific allegations about BBC coverage, the dispute hides a wider context: a political campaign against the BBC that acts as a prime illustration of how to muddy and weaken balanced reporting.

The author emphasizes that he has not been a affiliate of a political party and that his opinions "are free from any political agenda". Yet, each criticism of BBC reporting fits the anti-progressive culture-war playbook.

Questionable Assertions of Impartiality

For example, he was surprised that after an hour-long Panorama program on Trump and the January 6 events, there was no "similar, balancing" show about Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris. This represents a wrongheaded view of fairness, akin to giving platform to climate change skeptics.

Prescott also alleges the BBC of highlighting "issues of racism". But his own case weakens his claims of impartiality. He references a 2022 report by History Reclaimed, which pointed out four BBC shows with an "overly simplistic" narrative about British colonial history. Although some participants are respected university scholars, History Reclaimed was established to counter culture war narratives that imply British history is disgraceful.

Prescott remains "mystified" that his requests for BBC staff to meet the report's authors were overlooked. Yet, the BBC concluded that History Reclaimed's cherrypicking of examples did not constitute analysis and was an inaccurate portrayal of BBC output.

Inside Struggles and Outside Pressure

This does not mean that the BBC has not made mistakes. Minimally, the Panorama program appears to have included a inaccurate edit of a Trump speech, which is unacceptable even if the speech promoted unrest. The BBC is expected to apologize for the Trump edit.

Prescott's background as chief political correspondent and politics editor for the Sunday Times provided a sharp attention on two divisive issues: coverage of the Middle East and the handling of transgender issues. These have upset many in the Jewish community and divided even the BBC's own employees.

Moreover, concerns about a potential bias were raised when Johnson appointed Prescott to advise Ofcom years ago. Prescott, whose PR firm advised media organizations like Sky, was described a friend of Robbie Gibb, a ex- Conservative communications head who became part of the BBC board after assisting to launch the conservative news channel GB News. In spite of this, a government spokesperson said that the appointment was "transparent and there are no conflicts of interest".

Leadership Reaction and Future Obstacles

Gibb himself allegedly wrote a long and negative note about BBC coverage to the board in the start of fall, a short time before Prescott. BBC sources suggest that the head, Samir Shah, ordered the director of editorial complaints to draft a response, and a briefing was reviewed at the board on 16 October.

So why has the BBC so far remained silent, apart from suggesting that Shah is likely to apologize for the Trump edit when appearing before the parliamentary committee?

Considering the sheer volume of content it airs and criticism it gets, the BBC can occasionally be forgiven for not wanting to inflame tensions. But by insisting that it would not respond on "leaked documents", the organization has appeared timid, just when it needs to be robust and brave.

With many of the complaints already examined and handled within, should it take so long to release a response? These represent challenging times for the BBC. About to enter into discussions to extend its charter after more than a decade of funding reductions, it is also caught in political and economic headwinds.

The former prime minister's warning to stop paying his licence fee comes after 300,000 more households did so over the past year. The former president's legal action against the BBC follows his successful pressure of the US media, with several networks agreeing to pay damages on weak charges.

In his resignation letter, Davie pleads for a better future after 20 years at an organization he loves. "We ought to support [the BBC]," he states. "Not weaponise it." It seems as if this plea is already too late.

The BBC must be autonomous of state and partisan influence. But to do so, it needs the confidence of everyone who fund its services.