The BBC has officially commenced its search for a new Director General following the resignation of Tim Davie, who stepped down amidst a controversy involving a misleading edit of former US President Donald Trump. The edit, which falsely portrayed Trump as inciting violence prior to the 2021 Capitol attack, led to a public dispute with Trump, who has since threatened a $5 billion lawsuit. The BBC has firmly rejected his compensation demands. Davie, along with the corporation’s head of news, Deborah Turness, resigned on November 9 after Trump criticized ‘corrupt journalists.’ The job posting for the BBC’s top role went live on Monday, with applications closing on December 31. The position is described as one of the UK’s most significant public roles. This incident is one of several controversies the BBC has faced this year, including backlash over anti-Israeli military chants aired during the Glastonbury festival. BBC Chair Samir Shah, addressing a parliamentary committee, acknowledged that Turness’s resignation was justified due to the ‘error in her division,’ but expressed regret over Davie’s departure, stating that the board had full confidence in him. Shah also admitted that the BBC should have acted sooner to address the mistake, which was revealed in a leaked memo published by The Daily Telegraph earlier this month. Trump’s legal team has condemned the edit as ‘false, defamatory, malicious, disparaging, and inflammatory,’ while Michael Prescott, the memo’s author, suggested that Trump’s reputation was likely unaffected. The BBC, funded by a UK television license fee, continues to navigate these challenges as it seeks new leadership.