Joe Rogan’s podcast is a powerhouse in the ratings. How could it not be: the man talks about anything and has a guest list to back that up, too. It seems like everyone has appeared on the show. Alex Jones and CNN’s Sanjay Gupta were interviewed. The point is that Rogan’s show threatens liberal sensibilities of free speech because he wants his program to be an open forum of sorts, despite Rogan being a left-leaning independent. He might support gun rights but favors a universal basic income and health care. Still, the ratings don’t lie. Rogan slaughtered CNN:
NEW: Spotify just disclosed the follower counts for podcasts, revealing that Joe Rogan has a staggering 14.5 million followers.
— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) March 22, 2024
In contrast, CNN averaged 582k primetime viewers in 2023.
CNN brands @joerogan as "fringe" and "controversial," but his audience is actually more than… pic.twitter.com/5wvLYogmJ8
CNN famously altered the appearance of @joerogan to a yellow hue and characterized ivermectin as a "horse dewormer" in their presentation of this video.
— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) March 22, 2024
Ivermectin is classified as an "essential medicine" by the World Health Organization and has been an FDA-approved drug… pic.twitter.com/mNbTIQ3BcY
The point is that the podcaster, commentator, and UFC host was branded as public enemy number one during COVID for taking ivermectin when he contracted the virus. Rogan was close to suing the network over the coverage of his infection and what he was taking to manage the symptoms. Not a fan of the vaccine, Rogan was cast into the extremist camp. That again brings us to the question for CNN: how is it that he’s on the fringe when he blows your typical program out of the water? Millions listen to Rogan—the same cannot be said for CNN.
The fact that people have the freedom and ability to switch off and mock the mainstream press must irritate them to no end. We don’t need them. There are plenty of egos in the elite media. Nothing dampens that more than a skeptical and hostile audience. Still, that is a direct response to the years of fake news, bias, and overall animus these networks have exhibited toward those with whom they disagree.