Brendan O'Neill

Yielding to the big star pressure of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, this week Spotify agreed to put a content advisory label on any podcast that includes material about Covid. Mitchell and Young removed their music in protest at Joe Rogan’s podcasts. These shows are extremely popular globally but they aired views sceptical of Covid vaccines. In an Instagram post Rogan himself said he'd aim for more impartiality in future, but Spotify’s shares are down and more artists are joining the boycott. Who is responsible for the content of Spotify or any other digital platform? Is Covid a special case or must they remove or add a warning about anything any listeners might object to? Is it enough to say sorry or offer to slap on a "contentious material" label? At what point do such safeguards become censorship?And what about other, more traditional, intermediaries? This week the poet and teacher Kate Clanchy said she considered suicide after parting company with her publisher. She’d been accused of racism in the words she used about pupils in her memoir Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me. The students have defended her in print and Clanchy has apologised. And yet the debate goes on. Are publishers morally responsible for their authors ideas and beliefs? If the publisher or internet platform truly disagrees with the material, is it enough to issue an apology or label the offending material as contentious? And does intent count at all? With Journalist Brendan O'Neill, Academic Julie Posetti, Broadcaster Inaya Folarin Iman and Poet Anthony Anaxagorou.

Brendan O'Neill, chief political writer for Spiked and author of "After the Pogrom," dives into the fallout from the October 7 Hamas attacks. He critiques the extreme left's embrace of Hamas, reflecting on historical shifts from secular nationalism to religious extremism. O'Neill discusses the complexities of cultural symbols like the keffiyeh and the misconceptions of Israel's identity. With a personal political evolution from Trotskyism to libertarianism, he underscores the need for increased individual power against societal constraints.

Join Ash Sarkar, a prominent voice on masculinity, historian Tim Stanley, and NHS leader Matthew Taylor as they tackle the pressing issues surrounding modern manhood. They explore the impact of social media on young men's identities, the rise of misogyny, and the clash between traditional and evolving gender roles. Clare Ford shares insights from her work with teens, while John Amaechi discusses emotional intelligence. With contribution from contrarian Brendan O'Neill and author James Bloodworth, this discussion navigates the complex landscape of masculinity today.

Brendan O'Neill, journalist and Chief Political Writer at Spiked, discusses free speech, cancel culture, linguistic tyranny, and the Orwellian assault on reality in Western societies. Topics include the boundaries of free speech, copyright and the right to be wrong, the progressive view of education, the limitations of 'cancel culture', propaganda's impact on truth, the rise of pronouns and the trans movement, the perversion of cultural ideas, and the importance of free speech and making moral judgments.

Brendan O'Neill, an English pundit and author known for his work at Spiked, dives deep into the moral and cultural crisis following the October 7th massacre. He argues that the West has failed a crucial moral test, highlighting the troubling rise of anti-Semitism and the normalization of violence. O'Neill critiques radical ideologies that threaten Western values and discusses how the ideological climate impacts public discourse. He also proposes solutions for supporting Israel in its fight for the future amidst these challenges.