Joe Rogan’s Misinformation Spreads Faster Than COVID-19

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Dealing with a global pandemic is hard enough with the isolation, loss of loved ones, and controversy over health policies. But now, the nation has to deal with Joe Rogan?

The host of “The Joe Rogan Experience” on Spotify made headlines in February when Spotify removed over 70 (or maybe 100 depending on which news outlet you read) episodes that contained misinformation about COVID-19. Many artists have also pulled their music from Spotify amidst the controversy, protesting the podcast’s content, which includes the frequent usage of racial slurs. Some artists include Neil Young, the Band Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Mary Trump. Many people have been urging larger names to pull their music in protest.

Although many episodes were removed, the rest of them can still be streamed. In response to the uproar about continuing to stream Rogan’s content, Spotify’s CEO Daniel Ek recently released a statement in which they condemn Rogan’s actions but affirm that they will not be “silencing” him because “we're not in the business of dictating the discourse that these creators want to have on their shows.” And since each episode attracts more than 11 million listeners per episode, making it Spotify’s most listened to podcast, it would be unethical to not appeal to those listeners — or the money that they bring to the $33 billion company.

However, how can listeners trust anything that Rogan says anymore, especially after so many of his episodes were removed for spreading misinformation? Well, this is an example of people deciding what is free speech and false information, and in the past decade, that line has become so blurred from a saturation of information, social media, and the rise of content creators (not reporters). And if people can’t tell the difference between true and false, then it can negatively affect the way the country and world operates. This pandemic seems never ending, and misinformation that contaminates the progress of the public’s health does not help since not everyone even agrees that the pandemic is a health issue.

While the JRE episodes containing the falsities were removed and can no longer be streamed, some people probably still have ways to listen to them through downloads and recordings. Not to mention many have already listened to it, and Rogan’s speech has no doubt influenced those people’s thoughts, views, and actions. In today’s world, the media is incredibly powerful in swaying people’s opinions. So while Spotify is taking a step in the right direction, people should not have to wait until “Sweet Carolina” by Neil Diamond can no longer be streamed for media companies to prevent the spread of misinformation.