Joni Mitchell wants songs off Spotify in Covid row

As long as the Clouds don’t get in the way.

1 Like

I knew of him, but only peripherally. Now I am very aware of the idiot and understand why he was in my periphery. If Spotify wants to keep his BS while letting money makers go, happy out to them. I don’t listen to Spotify or Pandora. I have 100s of songs downloaded to my phone I prefer to be my own DJ. :grinning: :grinning:

1 Like

Is it coming across as interest?

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Sussexes’ Archewell Foundation warned of the impact of “rampant mis and disinformation”.

They added: “Last April, our co-founders began expressing concerns to our partners at Spotify about the all too real consequences of Covid-19 misinformation on its platform. We have continued to express our concerns to Spotify to ensure changes to its platform are made to help address this public health crisis. We look to Spotify to meet this moment and are committed to continuing our work together as it does.”

They talk the talk but they won’t walk the walk, not when there’s money involved … :roll_eyes:

Spotify is adding “content advisory” labels on covid-related content in light of the controversy but says that they’re not willing to censor speech.

Nils Lofgren, too … good for Nils … :+1:

Joe Rogan apology

Two talented but (now) irrelevant songwriters in a vast sea of music entertainers participating in the cancel culture by cancelling themselves.

Just sing; don’t talk. :grin:

BTW, who are Harry and Meghan? :rofl:

The Joe Rogan Experience is Spotify’s most popular podcast - but some episodes have featured false and misleading claims.

Here are four of them fact-checked.

Claim: A vaccine can alter your genes

Mr Rogan said: “This is not a vaccine, this is essentially a gene therapy.” But this is not true.

None of the Covid vaccines change your genetic material or DNA - essentially the recipe book containing the instructions of how to build your body. The vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna harness a different molecule called messenger RNA. If DNA is the blueprint, RNA is the messenger, carrying instructions to your cells.

In the case of the Covid vaccine, the message to your cells is to turn the RNA into copies of the virus’s spike protein. That’s what fires your immune system up to start producing antibodies and other cells to fight off the virus. When the message has been received, the RNA is broken down and disposed of.

Claim: Ivermectin can cure Covid

This claim was made on an episode last year featuring Bret Weinstein, an American author and professor of biology, who said: “Ivermectin alone is capable of driving this pathogen to extinction.”

BBC Reality Check looked at a series of research papers claiming to show the effectiveness of this drug in treating Covid. Many were very low quality, and in some cases the data had been clearly manipulated. If you look only at rigorously carried out studies, there is no evidence of the drug’s effectiveness.

Campaigners often cherry-pick positive examples and ignore the fact that many countries which relied heavily on ivermectin, like Brazil and Peru, had some of the worst death tolls from the virus.

The world-leading experts on reviewing medical evidence, Cochrane, concluded based on just these reliable trials that there was “insufficient evidence” to recommend the drug.

Claim: If you get vaccinated after having had Covid, you’re at greater risk of harmful side effects

One of Mr Rogan’s most controversial guests has been the virologist Robert Malone. Mr Malone was banned from Twitter in December last year for violating its Covid misinformation policies. He appeared on Mr Rogan’s podcast shortly afterwards.

Among the misleading claims made in this podcast episode was one suggesting people who are vaccinated after having Covid-19 are at greater risk of adverse side effects. Following his appearance, more than 270 doctors and healthcare professionals signed a letter to Spotify, calling for Covid misinformation to be addressed.

Robust studies so far have shown that a very small number of conditions - blood clots, heart inflammation - are slightly more likely after certain vaccines, although are still very rare. In one UK study, researchers found that vaccine after effects were more common in those who already had Covid. However, this study only looked at mild after effects, such as fatigue, chills and headaches.

Claim: For young people, the health risks from the vaccine are greater than from Covid

Mr Rogan said: “I don’t think it’s true there’s an increased risk of myocarditis from people catching Covid-19 that are young, versus the risk from the vaccine.”

Myocarditis is an inflammation of the heart muscle that has been raised as a rare side effect of vaccination.

However, research has shown that this condition, which can lead to shortness of breath, chest pain and in very rare cases to heart failure, is considerably more common after a Covid infection than after vaccination.

It also appears that cases of myocarditis post-vaccination are generally milder and shorter-lasting.

Mr Rogan later corrected himself, but has made several other comments suggesting young people shouldn’t be vaccinated as they are at low risk from Covid-19. It’s certainly the case that younger people are at much lower risk of serious illness from Covid, but they are not at zero risk of developing complications.

Covid itself has been found to be a bigger risk than the vaccines in every age group for which they have been approved. The vaccines, particularly after a booster, can also reduce your chances of catching the virus and therefore passing it on to others.

Rogan is, seemingly, a sensationalist and socially irresponsible “podcaster”.

If a socially responsible media person is one who is right 100% of the time, even in hindsight, there would be none who qualify. Even mainstreamers get stuff wrong in hindsight.

Rogan has gone back to correct or apologize for some of the things he got wrong, when he felt they were clearly wrong. I’m not defending his actions because there’s a lot I don’t agree with him about, but getting 4 facts wrong is not remarkable in the media business. I’ve seen news outlets with that many falsehoods in the same amount of time, particularly in hindsight.

This topic concerns Rogan, Spotify and, apparently, 200,000,000 avid, deluded followers of the “messenger” … :man_shrugging:

I was just responding to your comment about “facts” and Rogan. Your opinion about his listeners is a different thing.

I don’t know anything about this individual but the last two points in the quote are not sensationalist but have been widely reported and debated in our own media. In fact investigated by JCVI and doctors. Certainly the risk benefits of having certain vaccines such as AZ were considered to be in favour of risks as the vaccinated individual’s age reduced.

Considering this alongside the portfolio of vaccines available in the UK in the coming months and taking a precautionary approach in relation to the extremely small risk of thrombosis and thrombocytopenia following the first dose of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, the JCVI has advised a preference for adults aged 30 to 39 without underlying health conditions to receive an alternative to the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine – where available and only if this does not cause substantial delays in being vaccinated.

In terms of side effects it was thought that prior infection by covid could increase the risk of side effects. Whether these included side effects that were serious and harmful long term is probably the issue here. I had quite a serious reaction myself to the first dose. I still had dose 2 and 3.

The news story has just given publicity to this individual. Not that I am interested in looking him up as I’m sick of the constant discussion about the vaccine and covid. It’s been never ending. But they do give you leaflets on all the potential risks when you have the vaccine and ask you all about a history of allergies on the day.

Erm … I didn’t say the points were sensationalist, I said Rogan was.

Arie said her decision was also partly due to Rogan’s “language around race”.

So not a “covid row” after all

No, it was all about money: