White House Jumps into Joe Rogan Controversy with Stern Statement
For those who’ve been paying attention to Joe Rogan over the course of his career, the idea that he is facing such harsh criticism over his COVID-19 discussions is somewhat absurd.
This is, after all, a man who seemingly has no problem pointing listeners of all ages in the direction of high-powered, illegal psychedelics. This is a podcast host who regularly talks to folks on the fringe, including those who’ve claimed to work at Area 51, or who allege that an asteroid strike 13,000 years ago wiped out an ancient earthly civilization.
Coronavirus is far from the most controversial subject that Rogan has tackled, yet it’s the first topic on his podcast that has gotten the attention of the White House.
Spotify announced a decision Sunday to include content advisory warnings on Rogan’s interviews about the coronavirus pandemic with sources dissenting from the government narrative about the virus.
“It’s a positive step but more can be done,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during the daily briefing on Tuesday.
Spotify acted to address the situation after musicians Neil Young and Joni Mitchell asked the company to remove their music from their platform as part of a protest of Rogan’s interviews.
But Psaki called on technology and media platforms to do more to censor what she described as “misinformation” about the virus.
Advertisement - story continues below“That certinaly includes Spotifly (sic) she said, mispronouncing the tech platform’s name.
Rogan has received messages of support from a number of celebrities over the course of the last several days, with many suggesting that his conversations are well within his First Amendment rights.
