We previously reported on the story about the letter to Spotify from “270 doctors” complaining about Joe Rogan and asking them to “moderate misinformation” on their platform.
‘Menace to public health’: 270 doctors call out Spotify over Joe Rogan’s podcast https://t.co/DhXJ0OPl10
— The Guardian (@guardian) January 14, 2022
EXCLUSIVE: Doctors have sent Spotify a petition demanding that stop permitting Covid-19 misinformation on their platform — including the lies spread on the Joe Rogan Experience https://t.co/v8sDOmriWu
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) January 12, 2022
Spotify has not yet responded to the request for censorship. This is not to say that they aren’t paying attention. They are so proud of their freedom to speak.
But some took a closer look at the media claim about “270 doctors” and went out and found that claim itself was some classic “misinformation.”
The majority of the 270 signatures aren’t doctors so it appears that the media has inflated the claim to add more medical weight. This is just typical media inflation to make a point, or tell a story they support.
Although in the letter, the group identifies themselves as a “coalition of scientists, medical professionals, professors, and science communicators” they also say “as physicians, we bear the arduous weight of a pandemic that has stretched our medical systems to their limits and only stands to be exacerbated by the anti-vaccination sentiment woven into this and other episodes of Rogan’s podcast.” Yet most of them are not physicians.
There are 270 people who signed a letter. They include pharmacists and nurses.
It is inaccurate to say that there are “270 doctors”. https://t.co/LoDhw2FAxV https://t.co/vb8X7M6O07 pic.twitter.com/midAhyfVP7
— Alex VanNess (@thealexvanness) January 16, 2022
The “Ethical Skeptic” made up a chart having fun the narrative.
One trick SciComms use all the time.
Only 5% bear any type of pertinent qual.
Experts: 5%
Lettered after my name 58%
Failed ‘Letters after my name’ envy 37%https://t.co/pWxJLaqpvW pic.twitter.com/MTHiXk5ZoS— Ethical Skeptic ☀ (@EthicalSkeptic) January 14, 2022
This is a much bigger problem. Why should 270 people have the right to shut down anyone else’s opinion, whether they are medical doctors, “health experts,” or whatever the media is choosing to call them? It is possible to find other vets or people who would be against trying censor any person.
Spotify Joe Rogan should be taken seriously by the statement made by 270 expert health professionals that he is spreading misinformation. But if 61,000+ health experts sign the Great Barrington Declaration, stating grave concerns about current Covid policies it isn’t even a blip on the MSM radar. 🤔 Hmm. Yes. Interesting. pic.twitter.com/tNFNOdnD1p
— Five Times August (@FiveTimesAugust) January 15, 2022
When you start down this road, who gets to decide what qualifies as “misinformation?” It becomes whatever is the present acceptable liberal narrative.
If you believe Rogan is wrong, then shouldn’t you believe in the worth of your ideas to carry the day in the free marketplace of ideas? Why are they so focused on Joe Rogan Why don’t they seem to care about the COVID misinformation that has been spread from media outlets like CNN or even the misinformation that has been spread by Joe Biden from the White House? Biden has claimed in the past that if you are vaccinated, you can’t get or transmit the virus. That’s false and can be very problematic if you think that gives you a free pass for the virus. Where’s the letter from these “270 doctors” objecting to that?
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