Joe Rogan has responded to criticism of his podcast, "The Joe Rogan Expertise," after Neil Younger stated he needed to go away Spotify due to Rogan's contributions to spreading "false details about vaccines" on the platform.
Rogan took to Instagram to speak about how his "podcast has been accused of spreading harmful data," mentioning two episodes particularly that included controversial visitors. He stated he books the visitors himself, and one factor he might change is having specialists with differing opinions on instantly after folks with "controversial" opinions.
"I'll do my finest, sooner or later, to steadiness issues out," he stated.
After Younger and fellow musician Joni Mitchell eliminated their music in protest, calling on Spotify to forestall the unfold of misinformation on their platform, the corporate stated it'll add an advisory to podcasts that debate COVID-19.
In his video, Rogan stated he has no laborious emotions towards Younger or Mitchell and stated he's completely satisfied to have a disclaimer on his podcast, which streams solely on Spotify.
"I am not attempting to advertise misinformation, I am not attempting to be controversial," he stated. "I've by no means tried to do something with this podcast aside from to simply discuss to folks."
He defended his alternative of getting two controversial docs on the present – considered one of which was Dr. Robert Malone, an infectious illness specialist who has turn out to be a hero within the anti-vaccine group and has been banned from Twitter for spreading COVID-19 misinformation.
Rogan stated he needed to listen to the 2 specialists' opinions and claimed that "most of the issues we thought of misinformation simply a short time in the past at the moment are thought of as reality."
A bunch of well being specialists wrote a letter to Spotify earlier this month, calling on the platform to take away Rogan after his "extremely controversial episode" with Malone. The group stated Rogan and Malone made claims on the present which have been discredited.
The brand new Spotify advisory for podcasts will direct listeners to its "COVID-19 Hub" — a useful resource that "offers easy accessibility to data-driven info, up-to-date data as shared by scientists, physicians, teachers and public well being authorities world wide, in addition to hyperlinks to trusted sources," CEO Daniel Ek wrote in a press release. The advisory is ready to be applied globally "within the coming days."
After Younger's assertion in opposition to the platform final week, Spotify's Instagram grew to become flooded with feedback in regards to the debate over the corporate's accountability to take away misinformation printed on its platform by podcasters like Rogan.
Most supporters of Younger are merely commenting: "bye, Spotify." And whereas some stated they have been canceling their subscriptions, others praised Spotify for protecting Rogan on.
"Primarily based on the suggestions during the last a number of weeks, it is turn out to be clear to me that we've an obligation to do extra to offer steadiness and entry to widely-accepted data from the medical and scientific communities guiding us by way of this unprecedented time," Ek stated in his assertion.