Joe Rogan responds to Spotify controversy as more artists threaten to pull their music off platform
CHICAGO - First it was Neil Young who pulled his music from Spotify, then Joni Mitchell, and now there are rumblings that other top artists are ready to bail on the platform as well.
On Monday, the well-known podcaster offered an explanation, an apology of sorts, and a plan to do better.
"Do I get things wrong? Absolutely, but I try to correct them," Joe Rogan said in a video statement posted on social media explaining his decision to interview a pair of doctors who've been accused of spreading misinformation about COVID.
"Both these people are very highly credentialed, very intelligent, very accomplished people and they have an opinion that's different from the mainstream narrative. I wanted to hear what their opinion is," Rogan said.
But Rogan admits he could be better about doing research, and bringing balance. "If there's anything I've done that I could do better, it's have more experts with differing opinions right after I have the controversial ones. I would be open, most certain, to doing that," he said.
"Controversial speech has been around for a very long time," said Jeff Becker, an entertainment and media attorney with Swanson Martin & Bell. "There's a difference between controversial speech and intentionally dangerous speech."
Becker says Rogan's interviews don't constitute intentionally dangerous speech and said a decision by Spotify to add disclaimers to some of Rogan's shows is a smart move, given the backlash from musicians.
"They want to make it clear, 'hey, this is not us saying this. We need to be aware there may be other discussion points as well,'" Becker said.
Rogan said he has no ill-will toward Neil Young or Joni Mitchell. Spotify has thus far refused to delete any of his podcasts.