In a rare display of leadership accountability, BBC Director-General Tim Davie and Head of News Deborah Turness have resigned following criticism that a Panorama documentary misled its viewers. Let’s be clear — the BBC made a mistake. Panorama is the corporation’s flagship current affairs programme, and as such, it carries a particular responsibility to maintain the highest possible editorial standards.

By splicing together two clips from Donald Trump’s 6th January speech, the programme exaggerated what he said. That was wrong. And the BBC has held its hand up to acknowledge that. Its senior leadership took responsibility for the actions of their teams and resigned.

This is what integrity looks like.

The BBC didn’t try to hide or deny what happened. Instead, at significant cost to itself, it took responsibility. In doing so, it demonstrated the enormous value of publicly accountable, legally regulated public services. The BBC is rightly held to high standards because it exists for the well-being of the United Kingdom. It belongs to us, and its accountability is the price of that privilege.

But we should also recognise what’s happening here. The BBC has, for many years, faced a well-funded and orchestrated campaign by right-wing organisations around the world. There is a degree of rank hypocrisy in the current fury surrounding this issue. Many of the organisations now feigning outrage are ideologically opposed to the BBC and everything it represents. They hold the corporation to a standard far higher than they ever hold themselves.

We have to remember that right-wing populism hates facts and impartiality. It depends on manipulating fear and prejudice through charismatic demagogues. An organisation like the BBC stands squarely in the way of that — a free press, a commitment to evidence, a belief in public interest over political interest.

That’s why this matters.

Rather than joining the chorus of condemnation, we should rally around Auntie. We should defend its right to exist as a public institution committed to truth, fairness, and accountability. Mistakes happen. What matters is how they’re handled.

And in this case, the BBC has shown the kind of integrity that its critics could learn from.