The director general of the World Health Organization thanked legendary musician Neil Young for taking a stand against Joe Rogan’s podcast and pulling his music from Spotify.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted his message to Young on Thursday.
“[Neil Young] thanks for standing up against misinformation and inaccuracies around #COVID19 vaccination. Public and private sector, in particular #socialmedia platforms, media, individuals – we all have a role to play to end this pandemic and infodemic,” Ghebreyesus tweeted.
Young issued an ultimatum to Spotify to choose between his music or Rogan’s incredibly popular podcast. Spotify didn’t need much time to decide in favor of Rogan.
“I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines – potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them,” wrote Young in the open letter to his management team. “Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule.”
He later deleted the letter from his website.
Some surprising entertainers came to Rogan’s defense, including radio talk show host Howard Stern who said he didn’t agree with Rogan’s stance on vaccines but was against all censorship. Joy Behar cited the First Amendment right to free speech when she defended Rogan even as she supported labeling his podcasts as “misinformation.”
Ghebreyesus has been heavily criticized by some who claim he went easy on China for its reticence to provide information that might shed light on the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
Spotify secured exclusive rights to Rogan’s podcast, among the most popular in the world, in a deal reportedly worth over $100 million. The company has been previously under pressure by many on the left over Rogan’s politically incorrect statements about the transgender agenda.
Here’s more about the Young/Rogan controversy:
Spotify removes Neil Young’s music after clash with Joe Rogan podcast
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