Trustee of New York State Common Retirement Fund Writes Letter to Spotify Chairman and CEO over Podcaster Joe Rogan
Posted on 02/08/2022
Questioning U.S. government information on COVID practices, the usefulness of cloth masks to prevent viral infections, and COVID-19 mRNA vaccine effectiveness are taboo subjects for major U.S. media networks. Joe Rogan, a comedian and former host of the T.V. show “Fear Factor”, runs a popular podcast whose traffic and viewership outranks cable news shows on channels such as MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News. Rogan had a number of medical experts on his podcast which gave alternative views on COVID vaccines and U.S. government policy on the current coronavirus pandemic. Joe Rogan has a reported US$ 100 million deal with streaming giant Spotify for his podcast show – “The Joe Rogan Experience”. Signing Joe Rogan helped turn Spotify into the number one podcasting app in the United States. The Rogan podcast is an exclusive media opportunity and its licensed content. Spotify does not have creative control over Joe Rogan’s content, according to the streaming giant. The Rogan podcasts irked a number of musicians who decided to leave Spotify, including Neil Young, a popular musician with U.S. baby boomers.
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli sent a letter on February 2, 2022, to Spotify Chairman and CEO Daniel Ek expressing his concern regarding the streaming service’s content management practices. DiNapoli filed shareholder proposals with three other companies regarding their harassment and discrimination prevention efforts. DiNapoli is the sole trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund. As of December 31, 2021 New York State Common Retirement Fund held US$ 41 million in Spotify stock.
“As we have seen with other technology and media companies who host or publish content, the failure to successfully moderate content on a company’s platforms can lead to various reputational, regulatory, legal, and financial risks,” DiNapoli wrote. DiNapoli said, “I believe investors need greater transparency and accountability for how Spotify is enforcing its rules and measuring its progress.”
To SWFI research team’s knowledge, DiNapoli has not written letters to other media companies such as Twitter, Comcast, and other corporations on deemed “misinformation” related to COVID practices.
Keywords: Spotify Technology SA.
