Fighting Against The Hateful Side Of Podcasting

PPS3E11 Fighting Against The Hateful Side Of Podcasting - Transcript

Evo Terra: [00:00:00] No one is shocked that hate speech exists in podcasting, removing it, however is quite a difficult task, but it doesn't have to be if we're brave enough to make some tough choices when we find it.

[00:00:18] Hello and welcome to another podcast. Pontifications with me, Evo, Tara. It is possible to hold two, seemingly in Hungary was thoughts in your head at the same time. For example, most reasonable people would agree that hate speech is bad, but also most reasonable people agree. Censorship is bad. The dilemma begins.

[00:00:49] Now you can call it whatever you like being woke, being PC, social justice, being a part of the cancel culture. I get it. I get it at the same time. I wonder if it's, maybe we're just finally taking some responses, ability for the litter that exists around it and cleaning it up. I'm specifically talking about hate speech and podcasting specifically, you said specifically twice, we know it's there.

[00:01:26] What are you gonna do about it? What are you trying to do about it? Say a sticky wicket as it has been called before, but I don't agree with that statement to be really honest. Look, I've talked about ethical dilemmas. Of podcasting before talked about how we want to make sure that the, what happened to Alex Jones, his de platforming doesn't happen to podcasters who were not Alex Jones is obviously so, but I think it's time to make a pretty clear statement and ask a question view, but what do we do when we encounter.

[00:02:07] Hate speech. I'm not really interested in the discussion around, well, how do we identify what is truly hate speech and what isn't really hate speech. That's an interesting philosophical argument for people to have, but again, I'm not interested in, in definitions. That's a quick way to avoid the conversation.

[00:02:28] It's a quick way to hide behind words. When you're trying to fight against other words that are clearly going against the clearly trying to incite violence or trying to somehow disparage and demean people who by no fault of their own, through genetics, through geography or other situations, or the way that they are when other people get on and say hateful things about that causes an issue.

[00:03:00] Let's have the conversation about free speech because it's worth having big fan of free speech. Do like that. One of the great things about being an American, we have free speech and free speech laws exist in lots of other countries as well. But remember this free speech means what the government can't tell you what you can.

[00:03:18] And can't say, as I'm going to do with me, you businesses specifically, and how we deal. With people exercising their right to free speech. We also have rights to show you to the door as a specific matter of fact. So when we encounter hateful things in podcasting, what do we do? We're podcasters. We want to tidy the place up.

[00:03:48] What are we supposed to do? Well, I have an idea. And it's not going to make the hosting companies, lawyers very happy. But my idea is that podcast hosting companies, the people responsible for making sure the files of my podcast and your podcast, as well as the hate speech podcasts are distributed. What they can do is say they won't stand for it.

[00:04:18] They can clearly stay. No hate has no home here. Now, again, that's going to make lawyers all squeaky inside, but I'm not a lawyer. You might not be a lawyer either. And I know we can simply make statements. Hosting companies owned by regular people like you and me can make statements saying, no, we won't have it.

[00:04:47] Sure. We'll let the lawyers figure out the edges and there's always going to be gray area and we'll fight that kind of stuff. I get it that that happens. But that doesn't mean we should not try and do something that doesn't mean that hosting companies should not make a clear, very loud statement that says no,

[00:05:08] because right now, Well, I don't want to, I don't want to counsel it that, well, let me, let me change the way I say that without that, that's what I wanted to say without that kind of a statement. People who put out purposeful hateful content will just bounce from spot to spot to spot. Yeah. They're looking in terms of services and sure.

[00:05:29] That's inside of there. But if they see somebody who's doing hate-filled podcasting sees a hosting company that has a clear statement that says, no, we are not about that. I'm gonna try somewhere else. There's always somewhere else. Doesn't have to be the same place that you and I use. So what do we do about it?

[00:05:52] What are you and I working podcasters, who do not put out hate-filled commentary? What are we supposed to do? Are we supposed to act like the police and somehow go through and check and make sure and all this kind of stuff? I'm sure

[00:06:05] there

[00:06:05] Evo Terra: [00:06:05] will be some people that like to do that. That's not what I'm going to do.

[00:06:09] But when I encountered him, I would like to report it. I would like to let the hosting companies know that this is uncool. This exists on your platform. What are you going to do about it? Now? This is a very slippery slope because it raises the question. Well, what happens if the hosting company doesn't respond?

[00:06:27] What if the hosting company hides behind their legal shields, which they are likely to do, because that's what lawyers exist for to protect the interests of the company. If they choose not to take a stand, if they choose specifically not to remove content that is clearly within the boundaries of what any reasonable person would say is hate speech.

[00:06:48] They do. They refuse to remove it. Well, we can also show them the door can't we, we can move platforms. Look, it's real easy, really, really easy to move podcast. Hosting platforms. It has been commoditized. So therefore it's a snap, so we can just simply move. And I suppose if we wanted to, we could call out the hosting company, let them know specifically why we are moving because they allowed that to continue.

[00:07:22] I'm not so sure that the loss revenue of five or $10 a month, which is all it costs for these platforms. It's really going to make a big change. But I suppose if we do it on mass, then maybe so. Now how far down that slippery slope do we travel? What happens about the apps and directories? You might say the content exists, apps and directories listed, right?

[00:07:46] They're not actually approving content. Many of them are not. They're just posting what's up there. Should we take the same action to them? Look, I don't know. I get that. It's a slippery slope. I do not disagree with that. But I think we've, we crawl up the slope to the top of that slope and strongly encourage our hosting companies, who we are patronizing with our monies to remove the platform.

[00:08:12] If you wish I'm not afraid of that term, the content that is clearly hate speech related. I think it's something we can do. I don't think we should be terribly. Afraid of doing that, although we will see what happens if in fact that is the place it is, is the case. Now a few real things before I let go of you.

[00:08:34] One, obviously you go to buy me a coffee.com and do that. Buy me a coffee and also add, please. Well, tell one person about the podcast today. Yes, yes, yes. I know you told one person about podcast pontification yesterday. Tell them this. This is a different topic. Tell, tell somebody else about this particular episode, if you will.

[00:08:50] That's great. It helps the helps the show go. I am off tomorrow. There will be no show on Thursday. I'm picking your personal day for some activities I have to get done in the morning. So that means no episodes. There is no episode on Friday and then you've got a weekend. So I shall be back on Monday with yet another podcast.

[00:09:08] Pontifications cheers.

‍