On Sunday, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek defended podcaster Joe Rogan after the release of a viral video on Friday that revealed the podcaster using the N-word on many occasions during his broadcast.
“I do not feel that silencing Joe is the solution,” Ek said in a staff letter published on Sunday and originally reported by Axios’ Sara Fischer.
On Friday, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter India Arie shared a video of Rogan using the N-word many times over his show’s history, which was shared by thousands of people. Throughout the 23 footage utilised in Arie’s video, Rogan made use of the slur a total of 24 times. Rogan issued an official apology on Saturday.
For Rogan’s programme, Spotify spent a rumoured amount of more than $100 million to buy the rights to broadcast it. The show will premiere on the platform in September 2020, according to reports.
Ek stated on Sunday that his firm had spoken with Rogan about his use of “racially offensive language” in the past, and that Rogan had decided to remove an undetermined number of episodes from Spotify as a result of those discussions.
Staffers received a message from Ek on Sunday, in which he expressed “sincere regret” for “the way The Joe Rogan Experience scandal has continued to effect each of you.”
“I understand that many of you are feeling fatigued, disappointed, and unheard as a result of this circumstance,” Ek added. I recognise that some people may want more, despite the fact that I strongly oppose what Joe has stated and agree with his choice to remove previous shows off our site.
Ek went on to say: “I want to be very clear about one thing: I do not feel that silencing Joe is the solution. We should draw clear borders surrounding material and take action when those lines are crossed, but muting voices is a dangerous precedent to follow.”
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said in a message that the company has committed to a “incremental commitment” of $100 million towards the development of musicians from “historically excluded communities.”
Rogan has previously faced criticism for spreading false information about the COVID-19 virus on his programme, leading musicians Neil Young and Joni Mitchell to demand that their music be removed off the site.
Ek has had to deal with the consequences from Rogan’s programme on more than one occasion. Ek received complaints from staff about transphobic material on Rogan’s programme, according to Vice, and the firm received negative press in October 2020 when Rogan invited far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on his show.
In an all-hands meeting last week, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek told employees that content like Rogan’s was critical to the company’s “bold objectives,” according to a storey by The Verge.