Enda Brady: Panorama’s Trump clip sparks BBC’s biggest crisis in decades — and a call for radical reform

The Panorama editing scandal has triggered a leadership collapse, a Trump lawsuit, and a reckoning for a broadcaster long seen as untouchable

Outgoing BBC Director-General Tim Davie outside BBC Broadcasting House in London following his resignation. Photo: Lucy North/PA

“FAKE NEWS!” We’ve heard that belligerent Donald Trump cry so many times now that it had almost lost its effect and yet this week it brought the BBC to its knees. Two big-name resignations, reputational battering and billion dollar lawsuit all off the back of one doctored clip.

Just what the hell were they thinking at Panorama? Editing Donald Trump so blatantly to make him appear to say something in a way he never actually said it was appalling journalism. It’s beyond belief that nobody complained a year ago when it was broadcast, that they managed to dodge a bullet for so long. But Trump hit the bullseye this week, big time.

There are so many questions here and so few answers. Why does the BBC have so many external production companies? Why are the senior leaders so far removed from what’s going on at ground level? Does nobody tell them their concerns? Are staff that fearful of management?

During my 17 years at Sky News, the boss man John Ryley, was such a believer in an ‘open door’ policy that he had workmen come in and actually remove the door to his office. 

Ryley knew everything that was happening because he made a point of talking to his people. You couldn’t escape his scrutiny, but you became a better journalist because of it. That was proper leadership from someone who didn’t spend all day far removed from the coalface of news.

I would imagine very few journalists were able to rock up to Tim Davie’s door and have the kind of honest conversation that would have avoided the President of the United States slapping in a mega-lawsuit against the corporation.

‘Teflon’ Tim came unstuck this week and his time as director general of the BBC ended because this was a scandal too far. I hear he fronted up to staff the other day in an online call and used the word ‘proud’ about a dozen times in a few minutes.

Morale is on the floor right now and I’m certain pride is the last thing BBC journalists are feeling after this global battering. And that’s sad because the BBC still does a lot of good and produces many, many wonderful programmes.

But imagine being the next BBC reporter to ask a question at a Trump news conference? You say your name, you say which media outlet you are from and you know straight away how the US President will respond. “Fake news! BBC!” 

Mark my words, they won’t even be able to get a question out before they are verbally slapped down by Trump. In the world we live in now that exchange will go viral and this story will continue to rear its head, a bit like former Ireland footballer James McClean and the poppy every November.

What next? 

Headhunters have already begun the search for a new DG and the word is they are hoping to have someone in place before September 2026. Almost a year! Clearly there was no succession plan in place. 

What does that tell you about how much management were comfortable and cosy with Tim Davie in place?

It beggars belief that an organisation the size of the BBC was not looking at life after him. Any smartly run company is always looking ahead and beyond. Things change, situations occur. It’s life, it happens, have a plan and deal with it. Quickly.

The usual UK media establishment names have been bandied about this week, but what they need is someone who can tackle the institutional problems at the BBC, someone bold, fearless and ruthless. 

A sharp operator who doesn’t care about upsetting people and can deal with big egos. And after a century of men and old boys’ club veterans, the time has come to appoint a woman.

Enda Brady: 'There must be a clear-out of the BBC board.'

I’d move mountains to bring in Esme Wren, the head of Channel 4 News. She has worked her way up across Sky News, the BBC and Channel 4 and is exactly the breath of fresh air the BBC needs. 

Wren was previously editor of the BBC’s Newsnight show and oversaw the fateful 2019 interview Emily Maitlis conducted with the hapless Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor that spelt the beginning of his end.

I’ve worked with her, and she’s the type of person you’d want on your side and leading your team. But are the BBC’s headhunters courageous enough to recruit a razor-sharp woman who will challenge and change the old boys’ club? Probably not.

There must also be a clear-out of the BBC board. There’s too little editorial experience in there and too many political affiliations. Get rid of Sir Robbie Gibb and his ilk and get in some serious media professionals. 

Gibb was knighted in 2019 for his services to the Conservative party and is clearly on that board to counter what he sees as left-leaning and liberal tendencies in the BBC’s output.

The whole organisation needs to get back to being a beacon of impartiality and nothing else. Straight down the middle. Or just straight, it’s really not that hard. Or it shouldn’t be, with the right people.

Political football

This past week has been the worst in living memory for the BBC, yet it may be just the shock it needs to reinvent itself and secure its long-term future.

It was good to see right-minded politicians rallying around it and wanting the best for it. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey made the point that he doesn’t want “Trump’s America becoming Farage’s Britain”. 

That’s the real risk here now, that people like the Reform UK leader continue to bash the BBC for political gain, while offering nothing constructive or positive.

The BBC’s poor leadership has allowed it to become a political football to be kicked around and deflated whenever anyone wants to denigrate it. Some have been queuing up to do so and settle some old scores.

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Falling foul of Trump in such spectacular fashion was a perfect storm for the BBC, but hopefully it now turns a corner and comes back stronger.

That can only happen with the newest of brooms and a deep clean. This whole episode has been a mega embarrassment. 

One can only hope that they learn from it because the world desperately needs a strong, fair BBC delivering news that people around the globe can watch, listen to and believe in.

The alternative is a relentless bombardment of actual ‘fake news’ and that should be enough to make us all shudder.