The BBC is facing significant scrutiny following a leaked memo from a former advisor to its ethics committee. The memo, which described a "systemic" bias within the organization, accused the BBC of altering a speech by former President Donald Trump to suggest he incited the Capitol riot. It also claimed that the BBC's Arabic services downplayed Israeli suffering while amplifying Hamas' narratives, and that its LGBT desk censored transgender coverage by excluding alternative viewpoints.

In the wake of these revelations, several high-profile resignations occurred, including that of BBC Director General Tim Davie and Chief Executive of News Deborah Turness. On Monday, Trump threatened legal action against the BBC unless it retracted a documentary featuring the edited clip, issued an apology, and provided compensation.

Despite the gravity of the situation, BBC Chair Samir Shah appeared to downplay the concerns raised by former advisor Michael Prescott. In a letter to the BBC's culture, media, and sport committee, Shah defended the recently resigned executives, describing Davie as "exceptional" and Turness as "outstanding." This defense suggested that their departures were not due to failures in their roles but rather a need to project accountability.

Shah rejected claims that the BBC sought to suppress these issues, questioning why it took Prescott's leak for them to come to light. He acknowledged Prescott's concerns but characterized them as a "personal account" and a "partial description" of events. Shah insisted that the BBC had not ignored these issues and had taken action where necessary.

Regarding the allegations of biased coverage, Shah admitted that the BBC occasionally makes mistakes and that some errors may indicate deeper issues. However, he maintained that there is no evidence of systemic bias. He noted that the BBC's ethics committee had reviewed the coverage of sex and gender issues and concluded that it largely met the organization's standards for impartiality and accuracy.

Shah mentioned recent changes within the BBC's Arabic team, including restructuring and the appointment of a new head of editorial quality and standards, but did not specify that these changes were in response to the allegations of bias. Instead, he referred to them as addressing "underlying problems."

In response to the editing of Trump's speech, Shah explained that the purpose was to help the audience understand how the speech was received by Trump's supporters and the context of the events at the time. He acknowledged that the editing was "considered" and "discussed" by BBC News, but the implications of these actions continue to raise questions about the organization's commitment to impartial reporting.