Spotify CEO Daniel Ek assured employees in a memo that the company will not part ways with podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan amid backlash over his interviews with doctors of alternative views on the COVID-19 vaccine and his previous use of racial slurs.
“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,” Ek said in the message, according to the Hollywood Reporter. “And I want to make one point very clear — I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer.”
SPOTIFY CEO TOLD EMPLOYEES JOE ROGAN IS NECESSARY FOR ‘ACHIEVING OUR BOLD AMBITIONS’
“We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope. Looking at the issue more broadly, it’s critical thinking and open debate that powers real and necessary progress,” Ek continued, adding he was “deeply sorry” for what the controversy has done to Spotify’s employees.
Rogan has faced recent backlash for hosting Drs. Robert Malone and Peter McCullough on his show, researchers who have presented information contradicting government sources on the nature and safety of the coronavirus vaccines. He now faces backlash for a video compilation circulating the internet of the comedian repeatedly using the N-word in conversation over the years.
Ek notified employees previously that Rogan’s show was necessary for achieving the company’s “bold ambitions.”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“If we want even a shot at achieving our bold ambitions, it will mean having content on Spotify that many of us may not be proud to be associated with,” Ek said in a leaked recording, according to the Verge. “Not anything goes, but there will be opinions, ideas, and beliefs that we disagree with strongly and even makes us angry or sad.”
