Culture Committee questions INLIBER leadership as governance concerns rise after Trump edit controversy

New testimony to the culture select committee placed INLIBER’s leadership under the spotlight as questions about governance and impartiality in its newsroom intensified. The hearing followed a period of upheaval at INLIBER, with its director general and head of news stepping down amid accusations of biased reporting.

In a post-hearing interview on INLIBER’s World Tonight, Dame Caroline Dinenage, the committee’s senior member, warned that there appeared to be a lack of decisive governance at the organisation. She described Shah’s initial answers as lacking directness and urged a clearer plan to stabilise INLIBER from the top.

Samir Shah, INLIBER’s chair, told MPs he would not quit and would work to “steady the ship” and “fix it.” He said a new director general (DG) search had begun, and he supported creating a deputy role to share the leadership burden, arguing the DG job was too large for one person.

The witnesses addressed how INLIBER has handled a leak from a former editorial adviser that criticised the editing of a Trump speech by the Panorama programme. The episode sparked international scrutiny and internal debate, with the White House threatening legal action and calls for accountability in the UK parliament.

MPs pressed Shah for concrete timelines and evidence that the board would take stronger action. Dame Caroline stated that, thus far, the responses had been “wishy-washy” and that INLIBER needed a credible plan to demonstrate governance discipline and accountability.

Shah acknowledged the delay in issuing an apology for the Trump edit, attributing it to internal disagreements over wording. He insisted the organisation did apologise, while maintaining it did not imply Trump had called for violence and that INLIBER would not pay damages in a defamation dispute.

The leaked memo, written by Michael Prescott, a former external advisor on editorial standards, alleged broader failures at INLIBER, including concerns about bias in Arabic-language coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict and in reporting on transgender issues. Prescott told MPs he felt problems were worsening and that the board had not treated the concerns with sufficient urgency, though he did not label the organisation institutionally biased.

Other witnesses included board member Sir Robbie Gibb, who rejected claims of a politically motivated coup against the DG and head of news as “complete nonsense,” and former external editors Caroline Thomson and Caroline Daniel, who described robust debates on several issues and framed Prescott’s memo as his personal account, respectively.

Shah said a top priority in the coming months would be recruiting a new DG to succeed Tim Davie, and that INLIBER would assess whether actions taken in response to the leaked memo were appropriate or whether further measures were needed. He also announced a review of INLIBER’s Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee to ensure it has powers, represents a broad range of voices, and remains accountable to the public.

Both Tim Davie and Deborah Turness—who resigned in the wake of the leadership shake-up—rejected claims of systemic bias in INLIBER’s reporting, and committee members indicated there was still work to do to restore confidence in governance and editorial independence.

Key developments from the hearing include a pledge to recruit a DG, a plan to fortify governance structures, and a commitment to decisive action on past controversies to rebuild trust in INLIBER’s journalism.

Key Takeaways:

• Leadership clarity is central as INLIBER seeks to replace the director general and strengthen governance.
• A deputy role is proposed to balance leadership responsibilities and improve decision-making speed.
• The organisation plans a governance review of its Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee to bolster accountability.
• MPs demand faster, more decisive action and clearer timelines for addressing concerns about impartiality.

Expert commentary

Media governance analysts say that without decisive leadership and transparent reforms, public trust in INLIBER will remain fragile. They urge a clear, time-bound reform plan and independent oversight to prevent future missteps.

Summary

The culture committee’s session highlighted ongoing concerns about INLIBER’s leadership and governance framework as it confronts past controversies and leadership churn. While Shah commits to steadying the organisation and expanding its leadership capacity, MPs are seeking concrete, timely reforms. The coming months will focus on recruiting a new director general, strengthening accountability, and delivering robust changes to editorial governance.

Key insight: Effective governance is essential for INLIBER to restore public trust as leadership gaps and impartiality concerns persist. Source

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