Rogan’s use of racial slurs adds to pressure on Spotify

By TOM KRISHER and LINDSEY BAHR
Associated Press

Joe Rogan’s mouth has put Spotify in a tough spot. Anti-coronavirus vaccine comments and racial slurs on some episodes of his popular podcast are forcing the streaming service to weigh difficult choices. Experts say Spotify must decide where it stands on race relations and vaccine misinformation in a society with heightened sensitivity to both issues. There’s also the business decision about what to do with Rogan’s $100 million podcast. It threatens the company’s bottom line, but it is also a key part of its strategy to be a one-stop shop for audio. Neither the streaming service nor Rogan was talking Sunday.