ABC boss Kim Williams hits back at global backlash to Joe Rogan smackdown

ABC chairman Kim Williams has admitted he just ‘doesn’t get it’ after receiving a huge backlash around the world following his brutal criticism of Joe Rogan.

Williams, 72, claimed the world’s most popular podcaster “preys on people’s vulnerability” and told the National Press Club on Wednesday that he was “not a consumer or enthusiast” of Rogan’s work.

“People like Mr. Rogan take advantage of people’s vulnerabilities. They prey on fear,” he said.

‘They prey on fear. They prey on all the elements that contribute to insecurity in society, and they regard fantasy outcomes and conspiracy outcomes as a normal part of the social story.

“Personally, I find it deeply disgusting to think that anyone has such remarkable power.”

A clip of Williams’ comments was shared on social media platform X, where Rogan replied “LOL WUT” in a post seen more than 20 million times.

The platform’s owner, Elon Musk, similarly criticized the ABC boss.

“From the head of the Australian government-funded media, their Pravda,” Musk said.

Pravda is the former official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, which still operates in the Russian Federation.

On Thursday morning, Williams addressed the storm of global criticism his comments had caused.

“What fascinates me is that you say something negative about Joe Rogan – and I’ve been inundated with the most incredibly vile responses,” Williams told ABC radio Melbourne host Raf Epstein.

“I got one this morning telling me to stay in my lane and be careful, and you read it and you’re like, ‘What are you saying to me?’

‘Where does this super sensitivity come from? You make a comment in response to a legitimate question from a journalist.

“You answer the question succinctly and give an honest answer in terms of what your own perception of Mr. Rogan is.

“And suddenly I get a huge uproar from people in the most aggressive way, saying that I have a warped view of the world, that I’m an embarrassment to our nation, that I’m somehow unhinged, that I’m a prime example of arrogance and disconnect with Australian society.

“I have to tell you, Raf, I just don’t get it.”

A clip of Williams’ comments was shared on social media platform

Williams was asked if he thought the popularity of podcasts posed a “threat” to the ABC.

“Of course they are a threat to the ABC. I think they are a threat to all views that are contrary to their own,” he replied.

‘If they represent the new mainstream, our society has major problems, and the only answer available is to support education and knowledge.

‘Knowledge is the antidote to this kind of hysterical nonsense.’

His biggest beef with Rogan was the podcaster’s skepticism toward Covid-19 vaccines.

“I mean, Joe Rogan, in my opinion, did a tremendous amount of damage in 2020 and 2021, when he was particularly virulent in a lot of his comments about vaccinations,” Williams said.

He added: ‘I don’t think people have unlimited freedom to say whatever they want simply because they believe something to be so.

“We need to perform to higher standards. We must perform according to standards that take facts into account. We must implement the standards that actually have scientific validity.

“I think sometimes, not uniformly, but sometimes, Joe Rogan breaks those rules.”

Daily Mail Australia previously contacted the ABC for comment.

The Joe Rogan Experience is the most popular podcast on Spotify with 14.5 million followers.

Rogan signed a $200 million deal with the streaming giant in 2020.