Why You Can't Trust Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan is here to entertain you, not to be a trusted source of information. There's a difference.

Last night, a friend of mine posted a meme that said "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." On one side was a baseball fan, at a game, with a COVID-vaccinated QR code on a bracelet. On the other side - a tattoo from a concentration camp. Needless to say, I was offended, particularly as a Jewish man. But before I chimed in, I read the other comments. My friend, as it turned out, had heard on Joe Rogan's podcast that in Australia, the unvaccinated were being banished to certain areas. I looked into this, and there's NO evidence that's the case. I stated as such, and politely told my friend I was offended by the meme. He messaged me this morning, told me he took the meme down, appreciated my feedback, and gave me permission to tell the story on today's show. I should mention, the meme itself didn't come from Joe, but when my friend posted it, he saw it through the prism of the Rogan podcast, which he took to be a reliable source.

OK, what does this have to do with your podcasting and the industry as a whole? Well, Joe Rogan is the single most successful solo podcaster on the planet. Regardless of your politics, he entertains and offers compelling content.

Here's the problem.

He's not a news source.

When an entertainment show's popularity hits the stratosphere, people take it's information to be reliable. Popularity does not equal credibility. So whether you're listening to a podcast, or watching CNN, Fox News, or MSNBC, please know whether you're consuming news or entertainment. The line is often blurry. And when you're producing content, make it clear to your audience which of the two they're listening to.

OK, on to this week's podcasting news.

Apple released iOS version 15 on Monday - which includes personalized recommendations in the Apple Podcasts App. For example, if you liked this show, you may like this one. More info: https://9to5mac.com/2021/09/20/ios-15-apple-podcasts-personalized-recommendations-listen-now-tab/

Speaking OF Apple, will this be the year Spotify finally overtakes them in podcast listenership? Website eMarketer thinks so. They feel Spotify will have 28.2 million podcast listeners by the end of 2021, compared with an even 28 million for Apple. They think the gap will widen after that, and don't sleep on YouTube and Google for podcasts either. https://www.emarketer.com/content/spotify-poised-overtake-apple-podcasts-this-year

A new study from Nielsen says podcast growth is being fueled by light listeners, those who listen to 3 or less podcasts a month. This may seem concerning on the surface, but I think this is a good thing. This means the space is growing to a wider tent, and if these listeners can find good compelling shows, they won't be "light users" for long. https://podcastbusinessjournal.com/why-are-heavy-podcast-listeners-declining/

And finally, a perfect example of when it's appropriate to re-release an old episode. With the passing of Norm MacDonald this week, Marc Maron re-released a 2011 interview he did with the late, great comic. Rest in piece, Turd Ferguson.

http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/repost-norm-macdonald-from-2011

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