‘Deeply repulsive’: ABC chair attacks Rogan

ABC chair Kim Williams has called US podcast Joe Rogan “deeply repulsive” and said he is detrimental to society at large.

An ally of president-elect Donald Trump, Rogan hosts one of the world’s most popular podcasts, The Joe Rogan Experience, which is currently ranked number one of Spotify’s podcast charts.

Asked for his opinion on Rogan during his National Press Club address on Wednesday, Mr Williams said he was in “disbelief” and “disarray” at Rogan’s influence in the US, where his 11th hour endorsement of Mr Trump contributed to securing a win for the Republican candidate.

Mr Williams said media personalities like Rogan championed “conspiracy outcomes” as being a “normal part of social narrative,” with the host criticised for platforming Covid-19 conspiracy theorists during the pandemic.

“I think people like Mr Rogan prey on people’s vulnerabilities. They prey on fear, they prey on anxiety, they prey on all of the elements that contribute to uncertainty in society,” said Mr Williams.

“I personally find it deeply repulsive and to think that someone has such remarkable power in the United States is something that I look at in disbelief.

“I’m also absolutely in dismay that this can be a source of public entertainment when it’s really treating the public as plunder, for purposes that are really quite malevolent.”

The ABC chair added that individuals should not be able to skew facts according to opinion and assertion, and said facts that are “appropriately validated” should not be contested.

“The notion of truth being a contested issue is something that I struggle to understand,” he said.

In his speech, which was attended by the broadcaster’s news director Justin Stevens and high-profile presenters David Speers, and Patricia Karvelas, Mr Williams also called for more government funding, which has not kept pace with rising costs.

He said in the last 10 years, operating revenue has fallen by 13.7 per cent, which worked out of an annual reduction of $150m.

“When public investment in the ABC is discussed, it is often observed that its annual budget is over $1bn,” he said.

“This is true, and the board takes the responsibility of investing this money wisely, very seriously.

“The fact remains, however, that the budget allocation has not kept pace with rising costs. Funding the ABC represents a tiny proportion of the budget, and it has been getting smaller.”