Joe Rogan, the country’s most influential podcaster, recently hosted a three-hour conversation with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a notorious anti-vaccine advocate. This conversation, according to Vice, was a hotbed of unchecked vaccine misinformation, conspiracy theories about 5G technology, and praise for ivermectin, a debunked COVID-19 treatment.
Rogan’s platform, Spotify, which reportedly paid over $200 million to host his show, appears to have abandoned any attempt to curb his dissemination of medical misinformation. During the conversation, Rogan expressed his newfound agreement with Kennedy’s stance on vaccines, a significant shift from his previous perception of Kennedy as a “fringey-thinking conspiracy-type person.”
The Misinformation Spread
Kennedy, during the conversation, propagated numerous debunked claims, including the assertion that vaccines cause autism and contain a dangerous form of mercury. Despite these claims being repeatedly disproven, Rogan offered supportive interjections, further fueling the spread of misinformation.
In addition, Kennedy touted his retracted article “Deadly Immunity,” which was published in Rolling Stone and Salon in 2005. He claimed the retraction was due to “pressure from the pharmaceutical industry,” a statement Rogan did not challenge.
The Twitter Backlash and Elon Musk’s Involvement
In response to the Vice article, Rogan took to Twitter to challenge Dr. Peter Hotez, a renowned vaccine expert, to debate Kennedy on his show. This move was met with criticism from Tom Nichols, who tweeted that no medical professional should ever agree to debate a conspiracy theorist as it elevates the conspiracy theorist and demeans the medical professional.
Elon Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, also joined the conversation on Twitter, siding with Rogan and Kennedy. Musk suggested that Dr. Hotez is aware he is wrong about COVID-19 and that’s why he won’t debate Kennedy. Musk’s involvement adds another layer of complexity to the spread of COVID-19 misinformation.
The Lack of Response from Spotify
Despite the blatant spread of misinformation, Spotify has not taken significant action against Rogan’s show. The company’s internal platform rules prohibit content that promotes dangerous false or deceptive medical information, yet these rules seem to have been overlooked in the case of Rogan’s conversation with Kennedy.
The Consequences of Misinformation
The spread of misinformation by influential figures like Rogan, Kennedy, and Musk can have serious consequences. It not only undermines public trust in health authorities but also puts lives at risk by discouraging vaccination and promoting ineffective treatments.
Xylo News 