Donald Trump has spent much of his presidency suing media houses. He filed a lawsuit against CBS in October 2025 and the New York Times a month later. In September, he targeted Penguin Random House, and his latest threat is against the BBC.
Trump claims that a Panorama documentary edited one of his speeches in a misleading way. The BBC issued an apology, but its director general, Tim Davie, has called for his writers to “fight for journalism.”
Tim Davie Steps Down
In an unprecedented move, Tim Davie resigned together with the BBC’s news CEO, Deborah Turness, in early November. Davie enjoyed a strong five-year tenure with the media titan, but he’s also attracted several accusations of bias. He claims to have stepped down in a demonstration of accountability. Even so, he maintains that the good work the BBC does will speak louder than Trump’s attempts at censorship.
Attacks on Press Freedom Are Gaining Momentum
While the BBC has issued an apology, they’ve also refused to pay financial compensation. Some media houses have paid. Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million, and ABC News donated $15 million to Trump’s presidential library in settlement.
When students earn their journalism degree through respected institutions such as https://schoolofjournalism.co.uk/, they must now do more than just report the news. They will be working within a global political climate that has become increasingly hostile to news companies.
Some would argue that journalism is at risk, while most would agree that press freedom is a crucial contributor to democracy.
