Joe Rogan has issued a response to claims he spread "dangerous misinformation" about Covid-19 on his Spotify podcast.
The MMA broadcaster has uploaded a ten-minute video on Instagram responding to the claims.
It comes after Neil Young removed his music from Spotify over comments made on Rogan's podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience.
Speaking in the video, Rogan said: "I wanted to make a video to address come of the controversy that has been going on over the past few days and, first of all, to say thank you to everyone who sent love and support. I truly, truly appreciate it and it was very nice to hear from you.
"I wanted to make this video, first of all, because there are a lot of people who have a distorted perception of what I do - maybe based on soundbites or headlines on articles that are disparaging. The podcast has been accused of spreading dangerous misinformation, specifically mentioning two episodes - one with Dr Peter McCullough and one with Dr Robert Malone.
"Dr Peter McCullough is a cardiologist and he is the most published physician in is field in history. Dr Robert Malone owns nine patents on the creation of the mRNA vaccine technology and is at least partially responsible for the creation of the technology that led to mRNA vaccines.
"Both these people are very highly credentialed, highly intelligent, very accomplished people and have an opinion that's different from the mainstream narrative and I wanted to hear what their opinions is. I had them on and, because of that, those episodes in particular were labelled as having dangerous misinformation in them.
"The problem I have with dangerous misinformation, especially today, is that many of the things we though of as misinformation just a short while ago are now accepted as fact like, for instance, eight months ago, if you said that if you get vaccinated you can still contract and spread Covid, you would have been removed from social media and banned from certain platforms. Now, that's accepted as fact.
"If you said, 'I don't think cloth masks work, you would be banned from social media. Now that's openly and repeatedly stated on CNN. If you said, 'I think it's possible that Covid-19 came from a lab, you would have been banned from many social media platforms but, now that's on the front cover of Newsweek.
"All of those theories that, at one point in time, were banned were openly discussed by those two men that I had on my podcast who have been accused of dangerous misinformation. I do not know if they are right, because I'm not a doctor or a scientist.
"I'm just a person who sits down with people and has conversations with them. Have I got things wrong before? Absolutely, but I try to correct things if I have done, because I am interested in telling the truth and finding out what it is.
"I am interested in having interesting conversations with people who have differing opinions. I am not interested in only talking to people that have one perspective.
"That's one of the reasons I had Sanjay Gupta on, who I respect very much and I really enjoyed our conversation together. He has a different opinion to those two people.
"I had Michael Osterholm on at the beginning of the pandemic. He's on President Biden's Covid-19 Advisory Board. I had Dr Peter Hotez who is a vaccine expert.
"I am interested in finding out what's correct and how people come to those conclusions and what the facts are. Now, because of tis controversy and I'm sure there are a lot of other things going on behind the scenes, Neil Young has removed his music from the platform of Spotify.
"Joni Mitchell and, apparently, some other people have as well. I am sorry that they feel that way.
"I most certainly don't want that. I'm a Neil Young fan.
"I always have been and I will tell you a story at the end of this about that. One thing that Spotify wants to do that I agree with is that at the beginning of these controversial podcasts....
“One of things Spotify wants to do, that I agree with, is that at the beginning of these controversial podcasts - specifically ones about covid - is to put a disclaimer and say that you should speak with your physician and that these people and the opinions that they express are contrary to the opinions of the consensus of experts, which I think is very important. Sure. Have that on there. I'm very happy wth that.”
“I think, if there’s anything I’ve done that I could do better, that is to have more experts with differing opinions right after I have the controversial ones.
“I would most certainly be open to doing that.
“These podcast are very strange because they;re just conversations, often times have no idea what I’m going to talk about until I sit down and talk to people and that why some of my ideas are not that prepared or flushed out
“They’re just conversations.. that's part of the appeal of the show - it’s one of things that makes it interesting."
However, Mr Rogan did make a promise to his listeners.
“My pledge to you - I will do my best to try to balance out these more controversial viewpoints with other people’ spersectives so we can maybe find a better point of view.
“I don’t want to just show the contrary opinion to what the narrative is. I want to show all kind of opinions, so that we can all figure out what’s going on - and not just about Covid, about everything. About health, about fitness wellness, the state of the world.
“It’s a strange responsibility to have many viewers and listeners… it’s nothing I prepared for or anticipated.”
Rogan also thanked Spotify for their support and said he’s “very sorry” that they’re “taking so much heat”.
He added that he is "not mad” at Neil Young of who he is a "huge fan" and has "no hard feelings" to him or or Joni Mitchell, as he he "loves her too".
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