Outgoing BBC chief urges staff to

London- The BBC’s outgoing director addressed staff at Britain’s publicly funded national broadcaster in a phone call Tuesday admitting mistakes were made but urging them to “fight for our journalism” after President Trump threatened to sue the corporation for $1 billion over a program that aired in 2024 about the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.

“I hear everyone when we have to be very clear and defend our journalism. We are in a unique and beautiful organization, and I see the free press under pressure. I see the use of weapons. I think we have to fight for our journalism,” Tim Davie said on Tuesday’s call.

Davie gave three main reasons for his decision to leave officeincluding the demanding nature of the job and the upcoming BBC Charter renewal process taking place in the UK.

He also said, “I think we made a mistake and there was an editorial violation and we had to take some responsibility. So, all in all, that’s what made my decision.”

There was no direct mention of Trump’s threat of legal action, but Davie said political pressures on the BBC from both the UK and abroad were “challenging”.

In a letter to the BBC’s legal team dated Nov. 9, lawyers working for Trump alleged that the Oct. 28, 2024, episode of the network’s “Panorama” documentary show, called “Trump: A Second Chance,” which was produced by an outside production company, sought to mislead viewers by editing together three separate sections of a speech given by Trump on Jan. 6.

The letter claimed that the show “has caused President Trump to suffer overwhelming financial and reputational harm” and that it was defamatory under Florida law.

It outlined Trump’s demands that the BBC retract the documentary, apologize and “appropriately compensate President Trump for the harm caused.”

The letter did not clarify what would be considered appropriate compensation, but warned that if the BBC did not comply with Trump’s demands by Friday at 5 pm ET, Trump would bring “legal action for no less than $1,000,000,000 (one trillion dollars) in damages. The BBC is aware.”

A BBC spokesperson said on Monday that it would “review the letter and respond in due course.”

UK media lawyer Mark Stephens said it would be difficult for Trump to sue the BBC in the US.

“Panorama was not broadcast in the US and BBC iPlayer (the BBC’s streaming platform) is not available… so it is not clear that any US court has jurisdiction to hear the claim,” Stephens said on the BBC breakfast show.

BBC director general Tim Davie and his director general of news Debora Turness resigned on Sunday amid criticism of the programme.

“Overall the BBC is performing well, but some mistakes have been made and as director general I have to take ultimate responsibility,” Davie said in a letter to staff.

Turness said the controversy around the Panorama episode about Trump had “reached a point where it is causing damage to the BBC, an institution I love. As chief executive of BBC News and Current Affairs, the responsibility is mine.”

Pressure on BBC senior executives increased after Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper published a leaked memo compiled by Michael Prescott, who had been hired to advise the BBC on standards and guidelines. Among other things, the memo criticized the editing of the Panorama episode.