The Joe Rogan Experience: Spotify Facing Backlash after Hit Podcast is Accused of Spreading False Information about COVID-19
If anyone remembers the controversy over Facebook’s role in spreading fake news during Trump’s 2016 election, you know how complicated it is to determine the extent to which social media platforms are accountable for monitoring the content creators and users’ uploads.
The main question moving forward here is how and if media content should be regulated. Should these companies be obligated to comply with some sort of universal standard given how much influence social media has in society today?
With that being said, the popular streaming app Spotify - founded by Swedish billionaire Danial Ek and Martin Lorzentin in 2006 - is currently facing similar criticism over one of its most streamed podcasts, “The Joe Rogan Experience.”
Joe Rogan is being accused of spreading harmful misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine on his podcast. In one instance in a Tweet, Rogan asserted young adults are more likely to get myocarditis, a rare heart condition from the vaccine than from COVID-19 itself. Later on his claim was fact-checked and proven wrong, but the problem is that we do not know how many people will walk away believing his statement to be true.
The Joe Rogan Experience has a 4.8 rating and a reported 11 million listens per episode on Spotify. According to a CNN article, given his popularity and large following celebrities are voicing their concerns about his unsubstantiated comments and the influence they may have on public opinion. Neill Young spoke out to let Spotify know that if they don’t remove Rogan’s podcast, he will remove his music from the app. Artists such as Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills and Nash, India Arie, and Mary Trump have since followed Young’s lead. In addition, Megan Markle and Prince Harry have also spoken out about their worries regarding the situation.
Knowing a large demographic of Spotify’s subscribers are young adults, here is what other college students and some of your peers at Elon’s think about the quandary.
Do you think Spotify should be responsible for monitoring the accuracy and content of what artists and podcasters upload on their platform?
“I think yes,” says Leah Hottenstein, an Elon University senior. “I feel like they should allow their users to be able to speak freely but still have them follow the same guidelines as Facebook or Tik Tok for example. I think that they should take down false information when it is flagged.” Another Elon student user, Lane Mamensikis says, “It’s so hard because you don't want to say certain people can’t say what they want to say. However, people with as big of a platform and following as Joe Rogan where his influence whether it be good or bad can really be dangerous given people are dying from COVID-19.”
Knowing this information and given the current situation, will you continue to use Spotify?
“Well, I do think they should be monitoring their content more closely I personally try and make sure I gather my information from sources that are substantiated and reliable. That being said I already have been using Spotify for years and prefer their user experience to other listening apps, as well as their playlists and sharing methods,” says Leah Hottenstein. “The changing costs to another platform are too high because I have my music library and subscription to Spotify.”
“I see it from both sides,” says local resident Ana Lopez. “On one side I see that allowing them to continue doing this would be stupid. They are spreading information that’s one not true and two a lot of people would believe because of who Joe Rogan is. He is using his influence to spread false information. At the same time, I don’t like Apple Music, and I already paid my Spotify bill for this month.”
Photo from Unsplash.