QUESTIONABLE SOURCE
A questionable source exhibits one or more of the following: extreme bias, consistent promotion of propaganda/conspiracies, poor or no sourcing to credible information, a complete lack of transparency, and/or is fake news. Fake News is the deliberate attempt to publish hoaxes and/or disinformation for profit or influence (Learn More). Sources listed in the Questionable Category may be very untrustworthy and should be fact-checked on a per-article basis. Please note sources on this list are not considered fake news unless specifically written in the reasoning section for that source. See all Questionable sources.
- Overall, we rate The Joe Rogan Experience Right-Center biased based on holding mostly libertarian positions. We also rate him Questionable due to promoting pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, and false or misleading claims regarding Covid-19.
Detailed Report
Questionable Reasoning: False Information, Misleading Claims, Conspiracy, Pseudoscience
Bias Rating: RIGHT-CENTER
Factual Reporting: MIXED
Country: USA
Press Freedom Rating: MOSTLY FREE
Media Type: Website/Podcast
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: LOW CREDIBILITY
History
Launched in 2009, The Joe Rogan Experience is an interview format podcast hosted by Joe Rogan. Joe Rogan is a stand-up comedian and actor, and a former MMA color commentator, and a former host of the reality-based TV show Fear Factor.
In 2020, Joe Rogan signed a multi-year contract to broadcast his podcast on Spotify. The deal is worth an estimated $100 million, making it one of the largest licensing agreements in the podcast business.
The website Joerogan.com serves as a portal to promote his stand-up comedy tours, the Spotify podcast, and information about Joe Rogan.
On September 1st, 2021, Joe Rogan announced that he tested positive for Covid-19 and used the controversial drug Ivermectin. There currently isn’t scientific evidence that ivermectin is an effective treatment for Covid.
Read our profile on the United States government and media.
Funded by / Ownership
Spotify currently owns and publishes The Joe Rogan Experience. They are a Swedish audio streaming and media services provider with over 365 million monthly active users, including 165 million paying subscribers, as of June 2021, making it the largest in the world. Spotify generates revenue through advertising and paid subscribers. Spotify then pays the Joe Rogan Experience for its content. Joe Rogan also earns revenue through stand-up comedy tours and an online shop that sells merchandise.
Analysis
The Joerogan.com website publishes information about Joe Rogan and links to his Spotify podcast; therefore, this review will focus on statements he has made on the podcast as well as in interviews.
The Joe Rogan Experience interviews a wide variety of people, from entertainers to athletes to political figures. Joe Rogan is unique in his interview style as he will challenge and debate guests on some issues. He doesn’t simply ask questions and wait for an answer, which is probably why his podcast is so popular. Through these interviews, Rogan’s political views are exposed.
Joe Rogan describes himself as “socially liberal.” In January 2020, he said, “I’ve been liberal my whole life.” He also indicates that he does not identify with either the right or left but holds a wide range of views. For example, he states that he supports same-sex marriage, gay rights, women’s rights, recreational drug use, universal health care, and universal basic income. However, he also holds right-leaning positions such as gun rights and the Second Amendment, criticism of cancel culture and believing right-wing media is suppressed. Further, he advocates libertarian viewpoints such as limiting foreign military intervention.
Bias
In 2020, Joe Rogan supported Tulsi Gabbard and then endorsed and voted for Bernie Sanders in the Democratic Primaries stating that he admired his consistency. However, when Sanders was eliminated in favor of Joe Biden, he threatened to vote for Trump, citing Biden’s “mental decline.” In the end, he voted for the libertarian candidate as he did in both 2012 and 2016.
Rogan had faced controversy when the progressive activist organization MoveOn.org accused him of being “someone known for promoting transphobia, homophobia, Islamophobia, racism, and misogyny.” He has also stated that trans women should not be competing in MMA matches, which aligns with Tulsi Gabbard’s position. Finally, in 2020-2021 Rogan promoted misleading and false information regarding Covid-19 and vaccines. See failed fact checks below.
In general, Joe Rogan holds a wide range of political views that don’t easily align with either major political party. Although he has consistently voted libertarian, the majority of his views align more closely with the left on social issues. When it comes to factual reporting, he sometimes promotes misinformation, especially regarding covid-19 and vaccines. Finally, he has promoted unproven conspiracy theories around the January 6th riots that align with the right.
Failed Fact Checks
- The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are “really gene therapy.” – False
- The government is “monitoring SMS texts for dangerous misinformation about COVID vaccines.” – Mostly False
- “80% of people taking the Moderna vaccine had significant side effects”; “children in Sudan got polio from the polio vaccine” – Misleading
- “Antifa” arsonists have been setting wildfires raging on the West Coast in September 2020. – False
Overall, we rate The Joe Rogan Experience Right-Center biased based on holding mostly libertarian positions. We also rate him Questionable due to promoting pseudoscience, conspiracy theories, and false or misleading claims regarding Covid-19. (D. Van Zandt 9/2/2021) Updated (12/29/2021)
Source: https://www.joerogan.com/
Last Updated on July 1, 2023 by Media Bias Fact Check
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Left vs. Right Bias: How we rate the bias of media sources