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Donald Trump's press secretary has characterized the BBC as "completely fake news" and a "biased media outlet" in a blunt interview. This comes claims of partiality at the broadcaster.

White House Official Condemns BBC Coverage

Karoline Leavitt, a senior figure in the previous US government, stated that watching BBC news reports during trips to the UK "ruins" her day. She claimed that the public are "forced to foot the bill for a liberal propaganda machine."

Dispute Over Edited Speech

Leavitt's statements came after lawmakers said the broadcaster had "serious questions to answer" regarding how a public address by the US president was modified in a BBC Panorama documentary.

A report disclosed to a newspaper indicated that an installment of the news programme "completely misled" audiences by splicing two segments of the oration together.

The broadcast showed the leader saying he would walk with his supporters to the Capitol prior to the disturbances on 6 January 2021, urging them to "struggle intensely". Nevertheless, it omitted a section of the talk where he advised the crowd "to peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard".

“This intentionally deceptive, carefully cut footage from the BBC further proves they are entirely, 100% fake news, unworthy of airtime on the screens of the UK's admirable citizens.”

Leavitt continued: "Whenever I travel to the United Kingdom with President Trump and am obliged to watch the BBC in our hotel rooms, it ruins my day listening to their overt propaganda and lies about the president of the United States and all that he’s doing to make America better and the world a safer place."

Disclosed Document Highlights Editing Issues

The publication said its coverage was based on a memo written by a ex- consultant to the BBC's content standards committee. The adviser departed his role earlier this year and has not commented on the file, understood to have been leaked by a whistleblower.

An extract published read: "It was completely misleading to edit the clip in the way Panorama aired it. The fact that he did not explicitly exhort supporters to go down and fight at Capitol Hill was one of the reasons there were no federal charges for incitement to riot."

Claims of Systemic Issues

The report reportedly added that the former adviser had expressed worries about how BBC Arabic reported on the war in Gaza.

The newspaper claimed the adviser alleged there were "systemic problems", which had not been resolved by top executives. He reportedly cited "clear disparities" between the coverage of the hostilities on BBC Arabic and on the main BBC website.

One matter pointed out was the repeated use of analysts who were prejudiced against Jewish people or supportive of the militant group.

Censure of Trans Topics Reporting

The lengthy file is also said to have criticised the BBC's handling of transgender issues, saying the broadcaster had been "captured by a small group of [staff] promoting the Stonewall view" of gender identity issues and that its LGBT desk would "decline to cover any stories raising difficult questions".

It is said to have alleged that stories raising challenging questions about trans issues were downplayed, with a "constant drip-feed of one-sided stories celebrating the trans experience without adequate balance or impartiality".

BBC Reply

In answer, the BBC said: "Although we refrain from discussing disclosed papers, the BBC treats all input earnestly and reviews it thoroughly."

"Michael Prescott is a former adviser to a board committee where differing views and opinions of our coverage are routinely discussed and debated.|The ex-consultant previously advised a panel where varied perspectives on our reporting are regularly examined and contested."