BBC rejects Trump's defamation lawsuit, dispute is over speech edit

BBC chairman Samir Shah rejects allegations of defamation from Donald Trump and has promised that the public broadcaster will defend itself against legal action.

Trump is threatening the BBC with a lawsuit of up to five billion dollars for editing his speech in the Panorama documentary, which he said manipulatively implied that he was calling for violence ahead of the 2021 attack on the Capitol. Although the BBC has acknowledged the mistake and apologised for the misunderstanding, it has refused to pay damages.

In response to the president's legal action, Shah's team sent a personal letter to Trump expressing regret for the situation, but also stressing that they saw no justification for the lawsuit.

Two senior BBC officials have resigned over the scandal. The controversy thus demonstrates how sensitive media manipulation can be in a political environment, especially when it affects a figure with a global reach.

(reuters, mja)