Joe Rogan, Dave Chappelle, and the limits of employee activism

Spotify is the kind of workplace that encourages employees to share their thoughts on how the company is run. But CEO Daniel Ek’s latest response to the controversy over podcaster Joe Rogan is a reminder that when companies say they want employees to have a voice, that’s not a promise they’re going to listen.

Musician Neil Young’s recent decision to pull his music from Spotify over objections to covid misinformation on Rogan’s podcast has encouraged other artists to follow suit, igniting a wave of public scrutiny over the platform’s ties to Rogan. Spotify also announced yesterday that Rogan had agreed to remove dozens of podcast episodes in which he used racial slurs, and the podcaster apologized on Instagram for his use of the n-word.

In a Feb. 7 memo to employees, Ek acknowledged the concerns that workers have long expressed over Rogan’s podcast. “Not only are some of Joe Rogan’s comments incredibly hurtful—I want to make clear that they do not represent the values of this company,” he wrote. “I know this situation leaves many of you feeling drained, frustrated and unheard.”

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