(All emphases are mine I’ve put a fuller version of the podcast transcript at the end of this article.)Īnd today, some news: Spotify told us that they are improving things. Since then, aside from a few rebroadcasted eps, Science Vs episodes have focused squarely on Spotify-based misinformation: tackling Rogan’s vaccine takes, Rogan’s thoughts on trans kids, and how other platforms battle it.īut on Friday, a new episode dropped that indicated things were changing. Science Vs editor and I just sent this email to the CEO of Spotify. So on January 31, host/executive producer Wendy Zukerman and editor Blythe Terrell announced a protest: They would make no new episodes of the show “until Spotify implements stronger methods to prevent the spread of misinformation on the platform” - with the exception of episodes “intended to counteract misinformation being spread on Spotify.” Given its pledge to “blow up your firmly held opinions and replace them with science” and “to find out what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between,” Joe Rogan’s whole vibe around the pandemic seemed to be a mismatch. Science Vs began on Australian public broadcasting in 2015, moved to Gimlet Media the following year, and was acquired with the rest of Gimlet by Spotify in 2019. A podcast protestįirst, a little backstory. And it appears that Spotify has made sufficient tentative progress on limiting the spread of misinformation to mollify at least one group’s concerns. Even the White House got involved.īut one key source of resistance was internal - both from employees in general and from one of Spotify’s other podcasts, Science Vs. Not both.” Others with Spotify deals - Roxane Gay, Ava DuVernay, Brené Brown - ended or paused them.

After Spotify’s Joe Rogan Experience released a widely derided episode that made covid vaccines sound as safe as Russian roulette - with a guest who argued the vacinated were victims of “ mass formation psychosis,” a thing that does not exist - there was pushback from many corners.Ī group of doctors and scientists said Spotify enabled Rogan “to damage public trust in scientific research and sow doubt in the credibility of data-driven guidance offered by medical professionals.” Rocker Neil Young famously took his music off the service, saying, “They can have Rogan or Young.

Joe rogan spotify controversy episode