Russia joins Trump’s BBC pile-on

LONDON — The Russian Embassy in London joined in with Donald Trump’s attacks on the BBC Tuesday, branding Britain’s embattled public service broadcaster a “propaganda and disinformation tool” full of “ideological dogma.”

The criticism from Moscow follows the U.S. President’s threat to sue the BBC for $1 billion over its editing of a speech he gave on Jan. 6, 2021, during a Panorama documentary broadcast days before the 2024 presidential election. The row over the documentary has cost the BBC its top executive, Tim Davie, and its most senior newsperson, Deborah Turness, who both resigned Sunday night.

Writing on Telegram, the Russian Embassy leapt on the row, saying the BBC was “nothing more than a propaganda and disinformation tool.

“Its journalists select and manipulate facts, as well as censor information that does not align with their partisan editorial stance.”

The corporation has come under fire after a leaked internal memo alleged bias in its coverage, which is supposed to remain impartial, of the U.S. president, the Middle East, and transgender issues. The U.S. president’s lawyers have given the corporation until Friday to “retract” any “false, defamatory, disparaging, and inflammatory statements” about him.

Russia’s London outpost on Tuesday accused the BBC of “systemic flaws … where ideological dogma has replaced journalistic ethics” and claimed it had overseen years of “biased reporting” and “double standards” in editorial policy.

“The corporation has become a platform for Russophobia and extremism,” the Telegram post said.

British Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy will give a statement on Tuesday afternoon about the controversy, as well as the corporation’s future funding model, a live question as it enters its ten-yearly charter renewal process, which sets the BBC’s remit.

In a call with BBC staff Tuesday, reported by the Guardian, outgoing BBC Director-General Tim Davie — who has acknowledged failings over the Panorama documentary — hit back at external critics of the organization.

“These times are difficult for the BBC but we will get through it,” he reportedly said.

“We will get through it and we will thrive. This narrative will not just be given by our enemies. It’s our narrative. We own things.”

He added: “I see the free press under pressure. I see the weaponization. I think we have to fight for our journalism. We have made some mistakes that have cost us but we need to fight for that.”

This story has been updated with further reporting.