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In this era of polarized issues, fake news and cancel culture, those in the public eye carry a great responsibility when choosing their words. At the present time, who knows this better than Joe Rogan?
Rogan is the host of a ferociously popular podcast, the exclusive rights to which belong to Spotify. During the pandemic, Rogan (who does not have a medical background) has hosted guests that have made and supported his arguments against vaccination, lockdowns and more, triggering outrage over the spreading of potentially dangerous misinformation. In a united response, several artists have pulled their catalogues from Spotify’s library and, in many cases, are facing criticism for doing so.
Who is right? Neil Young, Brené Brown, and Joni Mitchell have pulled their content from Spotify, in an effort to combat the spread of misinformation. They feel responsible for holding the streaming service to a higher standard. Spotify feels responsible for preserving freedom of expression for its artists, and Rogan feels responsible for preserving the controversial dialogue that draws listeners to his podcast. Rogan has since issued the following statement:
“These podcasts are very strange, because they're just conversations. And oftentimes, I have no idea what I'm going to talk about until I sit down and talk to people. That's why some of my ideas are not that prepared or fleshed out, because I'm literally having them in real time.”
But, when considering an audience of millions, responsible rhetoric is important and should be carefully considered. Some are listening critically, but many are impressionable. I think it’s noble that those with a louder voice are using their own powers of persuasion to hold our information sources accountable and sacrificing their own livelihood to do so.
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