The BBC is a global player and this has received enormous attention, notes Orla Vigsö, professor of media and communication studies at the University of Gothenburg.
The risk is that trust in public service will be eroded. Then we have a situation where it is very difficult to see who you can get credible news from.
There is a storm surrounding the BBC - the British public service broadcaster that is considered one of the world's most credible and respected. At the center is the editing of President Donald Trump's speech in a documentary, where the BBC's editing gives the impression that the president directly called for violence before the Capitol in Washington DC was stormed on January 6, 2021.
The BBC has admitted that “some mistakes” were made and two top executives have resigned.
“Not a good idea”
Criticism from the right has been harsh. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has described the BBC as “100 percent fake news” and “a left-wing propaganda machine.”
Orla Vigsö notes that the scandal gives wind in the sails of those who are already critical of public service. But there is a risk that broader groups will also begin to doubt the reporting.
People may not start hating public service, but you can start thinking that there might still be something to the criticism, says Orla Vigsö.
Isn't it good that the shortcomings are highlighted?
"It is clear that public service should not cheat and make tendentious cuts. But what is happening now is that there is a stream of criticism that is unfounded," says Vigsö.
In Sweden, for example, it has been proven time and time again that SVT is not particularly left-wing, but still the attack comes all the time from the right.
More flaws
The fact that the "ugly clip" of Donald Trump is now being noticed is related to the fact that it is a central part of an internal report that was leaked to The Telegraph.
The report points out several shortcomings in the BBC's reporting, including that the Arabic editorial team reported more critically about Israel than the English site did, as well as a lack of balance in reporting on trans issues.
How will the BBC restore trust?
They have to show that they have taken steps to ensure that something like this doesn't happen again. Then they have to work really hard to emphasize that they are actually objective. They produce hundreds of hours of programs every day globally and the fact that a 30-second clip is cut is a drop in the ocean, says Orla Vigsö.
