Joe Rogan has put Spotify in a sticky situation after slurring racial remarks on his podcast on Spotify.
Even after intense criticism across the globe, Spotify CEO is not ready to let Joe Rogan.
Spotify CEO Daniel Ek stated in a message to his employees that the company is no way in a mood to part ways with Joe Rogan.
“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 note. “And I want to make one point very clear – I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer.”
The statement was sent out in the form of a letter to the employees of Spotify which defines the fate of Joe Rogan with Spotify.
According to the reports, $100 million was paid to Rogan to host the program. Firing Joe Rogan would mean that the company would lose one of the top strategies to acquire the monopolist spot in the market – the one-stop shop for audio.
“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 wrote. He said he was “deeply sorry” for the impact the controversy was having on Spotify’s workforce.
“It’s become clear to me that we have an obligation to do more to provide balance and access to widely accepted information from the medical and scientific communities guiding us through this unprecedented time,” Ek continued in a statement.
Adia Harvey Wingfield, a professor at Washington University stated that the choice of the Spotify CEO will redefine the status in the future. If Rogan continues his podcast show, it will showcase that Spotify has become more open towards multiracial culture.
“If Spotify says ‘We can’t drop him. He has the right to say what he wants,’ that continues on the line where there is this implicit support to say racist things on these platforms,” she said.
John Wihbey, a Northeastern University professor, stated “There’s some real self-examination to be doing beyond Joe. “This is a big moment of reckoning for entertainment and streaming platforms to see where the window is, what’s over the line.”
Rogan apologized Saturday, saying that the slurs were the “most regretful and shameful thing” he has ever had to address and that he hasn’t used the N-word in years.
