Podcast host Joe Rogan
(Picture: AP)The boss of Spotify has apologised to staff after footage surfaced of the platform’s star podcaster Joe Rogan using a racist slur.
Daniel Ek sent an email to staff on Sunday saying Rogan didn’t represent the company after a video surfaced of him using the n-word over the weekend.
“There are no words I can say to adequately convey how deeply sorry I am for the way The Joe Rogan Experience controversy continues to impact each of you,” Ek said in the email, which was provided by a company spokesperson.
“Not only are some of Joe Rogan’s comments incredibly hurtful – I want to make clear that they do not represent the values of this company. I know this situation leaves many of you feeling drained, frustrated and unheard.”
Ek was responding to a video that circulated on social media over the weekend showing Rogan using the n-word in early episodes of his hit show. Rogan offered “sincere and humble apologies” over the weekend, saying he regretted using the word and saying the clip was taken “out of context.”
Spotify signed a $100 million deal with Rogan in 2020 to host his podcast exclusively on its platform. The streaming site has removed over 110 episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience, according to tracking service JRE Missing. Most were removed on February 4.
Ek said: “While I strongly condemn what Joe has said and I agree with his decision to remove past episodes from our platform, I realize some will want more. And I want to make one point very clear – I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer. We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope.”
The racist language extends a growing controversy surrounding Spotify and Rogan. Musicians including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell have removed their music from Spotify in protest against Covid-19 vaccine misinformation. Much of their criticism centres on Rogan, who recently hosted a vaccine-critical scientist on his podcast. Rogan has apologised for that incident separately to the n-word scandal.
The crisis has impacted Spotify’s business, with around $4 billion wiped off its market value in the wake of the Young boycott. Shares were down 2.3% in pre-market trade in New York on Monday.
Spotify has placed content advisory warnings on Rogan podcasts featuring discussions of Covid-19 but argues it doesn’t have an obligation to fact check the podcasts. The Swedish company claims it is a platform, not a publisher.
Some staff are unhappy with the distinction.
Ek said in his email: “In last week’s Town Hall, I outlined to you that we are not the publisher of JRE. But perception due to our exclusive license implies otherwise. So I’ve been wrestling with how this perception squares with our values.”
The Joe Rogan Experience is one of the most popular podcasts in the world. Rogan said in 2019 the show was downloaded around 190 million times each month.
