Podcast Movement apologizes to Ben Shapiro after claiming that his presence at a conference caused 'harm'



Podcast Movement issued an apology on Thursday after claiming last month that conservative commentator Ben Shapiro's mere prescence at a conference had caused "harm."

"As we stated, we're continuing to evaluate our policies guiding social media & events with inclusivity, diversity & respect for all. We have to start by sincerely apologizing to Mr. Shapiro for our reaction when he visited a booth we sold his company. That wasn't right," Podcast Movement tweeted on Thursday.

Daily Wire co-founder and co-CEO Jeremy Boreing applauded Podcast Movement for issuing the mea culpa: "People rarely admit when they do wrong, particularly on the left where every cultural indicator reinforces your error. @PodcastMovement did the right thing with this apology," Boreing tweeted.

\u201cPeople rarely admit when they do wrong, particularly on the left where every cultural indicator reinforces your error. \n\n@PodcastMovement did the right thing with this apology. Dan Franks also called me to make clear their treatment of Ben was unacceptable. \n\nGood on them.\u201d
— Jeremy Boreing (@Jeremy Boreing) 1662679782

Last month after Shapiro showed up at the Daily Wire's booth at a Podcast Movement conference, Podcast Movement issued an eyebrow-raising apology suggesting that Shapiro's appearance at the event had inflicted "harm." The tweets have since been deleted.

"Hi folks, we owe you an apology before sessions kick off for the day. Yesterday afternoon, Ben Shapiro briefly visited the PM22 expo area near The Daily Wire booth. Though he was not registered or expected, we take full responsibility for the harm done by his presence," Podcast Movement had tweeted.

"There's no way around it: We agreed to sell The Daily Wire a first-time booth based on the company’s large presence in podcasting. The weight of that decision is now painfully clear. Shapiro is a co-founder. A drop-in, however unlikely, should have been considered a possibility," Podcast Movement continued. "Those of you who called this 'unacceptable' are right. In 9 wonderful years growing and celebrating this medium, PM has made mistakes. The pain caused by this one will always stick with us. We promise that sponsors will be more carefully considered moving forward."

Contrary to the grim picture painted by Podcast Movement's apology, video footage posted by the Daily Wire shows a smiling Ben Shapiro engaging in amicable interactions with people at the event.

\u201cWARNING: Some viewers may find the following video of @benshapiro at @PodcastMovement disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.\u201d
— Daily Wire (@Daily Wire) 1661468715

Podcast Movement's apology to Shapiro on Thursday came after Cumulus Media earlier this week announced that it would cut ties with Podcast Movement.

"At Cumulus Media, our tenet is that Every Voice Matters and we support conferences and trade events where differing political viewpoints can be expressed and received with respect. As such, we were dismayed and disappointed by Podcast Movement's handling of the reaction to our partner, top podcaster, and conservative talk leader Ben Shapiro's mere presence at Podcast Movement. After giving the leaders of Podcast Movement sufficient time to appropriately address their misstep, we are disassociating from Podcast Movement, including canceling our 2023 sponsorship plans," Cumulus had said in a statement, according to Radio Online.

Cumulus Media severs ties with Podcast Movement after Ben Shapiro controversy



Broadcasting giant Cumulus Media on Tuesday severed ties with Podcast Movement, the trade association that issued a groveling apology for "harm" purportedly caused by Daily Wire podcast host Ben Shapiro's presence at their conference in Dallas, Texas, last month.

Cumulus, the third largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, said in a statement it was "dismayed and disappointed" by trade association's response after Shapiro visited the Daily Wire booth at the Podcast Movement conference and greeted fans and supporters. The Daily Wire was one of the event's sponsors.

The Cumulus Podcast Network has been the Daily Wire's advertising sales representative since 2016. The Atlanta-based company has also syndicated Shapiro's radio show through its Westwood One subsidiary since 2019.

"At Cumulus Media, our tenet is that Every Voice Matters and we support conferences and trade events where differing political viewpoints can be expressed and received with respect," Cumulus said. "As such, we were dismayed and disappointed by Podcast Movement's handling of the reaction to our partner, top podcaster, and conservative talk leader Ben Shapiro's mere presence at Podcast Movement.

"After giving the leaders of Podcast Movement sufficient time to appropriately address their misstep, we are disassociating from Podcast Movement, including canceling our 2023 sponsorship plans," the company announced.

Controversy exploded late last month after an attendee at Podcast Movement's conference complained that Shapiro's presence at the event did not make her feel "safe."

In response to the complaint, Podcast Movement posted an apology on Twitter taking "full responsibility for the harm done by his presence."

The trade association said Shapiro's presence at the event was "unacceptable," a statement that drew fierce backlash from conservatives. Daily Wire co-CEO Jeremy Boreing accused the group of "unadulterated bigotry" against conservative podcasters in a tirade denouncing how Shapiro, his friend and business partner, was treated. On Tuesday, Boreing praised Cumulus' action and called on other media companies to defend free speech.

“I’m glad to see our longtime partner Cumulus/Westwood One taking such a strong and public stand against Podcast Movement’s outright and abject bigotry,” Boreing said, according to the Daily Wire. “Though Podcast Movement quietly removed their bigoted tweet thread over the weekend, they still have yet to retract and publicly apologize for their hateful comments about Ben Shapiro and The Daily Wire.

“In an illiberal moment such as the one we’re currently living in, if we don’t stand up to this kind of bigoted behavior it’s only going to get worse,” he continued. “I certainly hope Cumulus’s strong response to Podcast Movement is the first of many others like it.”

In the wake of the controversy, Podcast Movement deleted the tweets apologizing for "harm caused by Shapiro's presence.

"We’re listening to our Podcast Movement community - many who’ve been with us since the start. We’re putting in place policies to guide our social media & events with inclusivity, diversity & respect for all," the group tweeted on Sept. 2. " It’s a journey. We’ll keep listening, keep growing together."

'Unadulterated bigotry': Daily Wire 'god-king' Jeremy Boreing blasts podcast conference that tried to cancel Ben Shapiro



Daily Wire co-CEO Jeremy Boreing ripped the podcasting trade association that issued a groveling apology for "harm" caused by Ben Shapiro's presence at the Podcast Movement conference in Dallas, Texas, last week, calling the response to Shapiro "unadulterated bigotry."

During a roundtable discussion on the Daily Wire's "Backstage" show Wednesday, Boering revealed the details of his private conversations with Podcast Movement's leadership, divulging that he became incensed when one of the owners claimed the public apology made after Shapiro visited the Dallas event was not "political."

Last Thursday, organizers of the Podcast Movement conference apologized profusely for permitting the Daily Wire to become a sponsor and selling the company booth space after attendees complained that Shapiro, the host of the number-one conservative podcast, was spotted near the Daily Wire's booth. Podcast movement took "full responsibility for the harm done by his presence" and said that Shapiro's presence there was "unacceptable."

Boering said Wednesday that in a private conversation with one of Podcast Movement's owners, the owner claimed Shapiro's presence violated a policy "that the talent not appear" and that other event sponsors were upset that Shapiro was there.

“He said this was not in any way political. And when he said it, I’m embarrassed about it, I just got so adrenalized and so upset,” Boreing said. “And I just started reading from the tweets … ‘The pain that will be with us forever, the harm caused by his very presence.’ You’re saying that isn’t political?”

\u201c.@JeremyDBoreing shares details on his phone call with one of the owners of @PodcastMovement: "He said this was not in any way political... And I just started reading from the tweets... 'The pain that will be with us forever, the harm caused by his very presence.'"\u201d
— Daily Wire (@Daily Wire) 1661991106

He said Podcast Movement's explanation didn't make any sense because podcast hosts were invited to speak on panels at the event.

"It's just nonsense. The whole fracking conference is for podcasters," Boreing said.

Though by now the Daily Wire is used to cancel culture on the left, Boreing suggested he was nevertheless caught off-guard by what he called outright "bigotry" against conservative podcasters.

“There’s no one else in the world who would be subjected to this type of bigotry, and you get away with,” Boreing said. “You could not treat a black man this way, you could not treat a lesbian woman this way, you could not treat anyone on the left in this way … but you can treat a conservative this way with unadulterated bigotry on the page.”

\u201c.@JeremyDBoreing calls out @PodcastMovement for condemning @benshapiro for "his presence": "This is an outright act of bigotry."\u201d
— Daily Wire (@Daily Wire) 1661990408

He said he appealed to Podcast Movement to retract the group's statement and apologize to Shapiro, but his pleas were ignored.

“We will not allow Podcast Movement to continue to present itself as a neutral place. If you’re a conservative podcaster, they don’t want you there … they don’t care to defend you,” Boreing said. “They want to make money off of your success while your political foes try to destroy you, and then they will watch you die.”

Podcast Movement did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(h/t: The Daily Wire)

Oxford Road CEO Daniel Granger calls on Podcast Movement to retract 'unnecessarily divisive response' to Ben Shapiro



Daniel Granger, the CEO and founder of the podcast advertising agency Oxford Road, came to Ben Shapiro's defense after a major podcasting conference apologized for the "harm" caused by Shapiro's "presence" at the conference's event this week.

On Thursday, organizers of the Podcast Movement conference in Dallas, Texas, apologized for selling the Daily Wire booth space after attendees complained that Shapiro, the host of the number-one conservative podcast, was spotted at the event near the Daily Wire's booth.

Podcast Movement took "full responsibility for the harm done by his presence" and said that Shapiro's presence there was "unacceptable." But the organizers' apology was widely criticized by those opposed to cancel culture and who were appalled at the statement that Shapiro's "presence" — the fact of his existence at the conference — was said to have caused "harm."

Granger, who said he considers Shapiro a friend and clarified he is "not a Republican," chastised Podcast Movement for betraying its mission to "bring together and educate active and aspiring podcasters, and to grow the podcast community and industry as a whole."

"'Anyone'? It seems more like 'All Podcasters are equal but some Podcasters are more equal than others,'" Granger wrote in a lengthy post on LinkedIn.

"If there has been a change in Podcast Movement's mission and some attendees are no longer welcome based on their ideology, they should have said something earlier," he continued.

Granger described how he founded Oxford Road to serve the growing podcast industry and that his company embraces "deep tolerance" for views "across the ideological spectrum" to unite podcasters and promote free speech.

"Our country is at a crossroads," Granger wrote. "The freedoms we enjoy in this country are vulnerable to new threats that, in my view, are accelerated by our culture of infighting and polarization. Media has been a primary driver of this, and a large part of my life's mission has become to help our industry become part of the solution instead of joining others in exacerbating the problem."

He lamented political polarization in podcasting and advocated for "freedom and tolerance," along with "good faith debate and discussion." He also urged Podcast Movement to retract its statement on Shapiro.

"Treating the very presence of a person you disagree with, however profoundly, as unacceptable feels like the opposite of tolerance and will only push us further apart," Granger wrote. "Instead of treating an individual as unworthy of being in the presence of another, why not use your platform to discuss why you find their actions so problematic? Or at least be specific about the actions that constitute 'harm done.'"

"We can do better than this," he concluded. "I call on the team at Podcast Movement to retract their unnecessarily divisive response and define a position in line with their stated mission. That's a movement in which I, and many others, would like to participate."

Major podcast conference apologizes for 'harm' caused by Ben Shapiro existing in statement that must be seen to see to believed



Organizers of a podcast conference in Dallas, Texas, drew backlash Thursday after they took responsibility for "harm" caused by Daily Wire podcast host Ben Shapiro's presence at the conference.

Podcast Movement, a major annual conference for the podcast industry, issued a profuse apology on Thursday after attendees complained that Shapiro was spotted at the event near the Daily Wire booth. The Daily Wire sponsored this year's conference and Shapiro, host of the massively successful "The Ben Shapiro Show" podcast, was seen pictured walking around the expo area.

\u201cHey @PodcastMovement what the fuck\u201d
— Tal @ PodMov (@Tal @ PodMov) 1661372719

"As a trans person, as a queer person, as someone with a uterus, this does not make me feel welcome. This does not make me feel safe," one of the conference attendees posted on Twitter after sharing a picture of Shapiro standing by the Daily Wire booth.

In response to the complaints received, Podcast Movement issued several tweets Thursday apologizing that Shapiro was permitted to attend the event.

\u201cHi folks, we owe you an apology before sessions kick off for the day. Yesterday afternoon, Ben Shapiro briefly visited the PM22 expo area near The Daily Wire booth. Though he was not registered or expected, we take full responsibility for the harm done by his presence.\u201d
— Podcast Movement at #PM22 (@Podcast Movement at #PM22) 1661427227

"Hi folks, we owe you an apology before sessions kick off for the day. Yesterday afternoon, Ben Shapiro briefly visited the PM22 expo area near The Daily Wire booth. Though he was not registered or expected, we take full responsibility for the harm done by his presence," Podcast Movement said.

"There’s no way around it: We agreed to sell The Daily Wire a first-time booth based on the company’s large presence in podcasting. The weight of that decision is now painfully clear. Shapiro is a co-founder. A drop-in, however unlikely, should have been considered a possibility.

"Those of you who called this 'unacceptable' are right," the conference organizers continued. "In 9 wonderful years growing and celebrating this medium, PM has made mistakes. The pain caused by this one will always stick with us. We promise that sponsors will be more carefully considered moving forward."

"Just to clarify, no TDW representatives were scheduled to appear on panels, and Shapiro remained in the common space and did not have a badge. If you have questions, we’re here to talk. Thank you for reading, and we hope you’ll continue to join us from here on out," Podcast movement added.

The apology and the statement that Shapiro inflicted "harm" by merely existing in the same space as those who disagree with his politics drew backlash from conservatives and other content creators. Shapiro himself mocked Podcast Movement and retweeted many of the replies from people floored by the absurdity of the situation.

"Literally shaking rn. Podcast Movement is threatening my right to exist. This is erasure," Shapiro tweeted.

\u201cLiterally shaking rn. Podcast Movement is threatening my right to exist. This is erasure. https://t.co/FGu5u3nG3g\u201d
— Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1661458233

"You sound like *completely insane people*. What in the world is wrong with you?" writer Molly Hemingway tweeted. "Is this a joke? You couldn't tolerate *BEN* *FREAKING* *SHAPIRO*? Are you a child? An anti-semite? An anti-semitic child? How do you function in society if you can't tolerate BEN SHAPIRO?"

"We believe the problem was contained to the common space, but, full disclosure, we cannot rule out the possibility, however slight, that trace amounts of Shapiro made their way into the building's HVAC system," writer Jesse Singal said.

\u201cWe believe the problem was contained to the common space, but, full disclosure, we cannot rule out the possibility, however slight, that trace amounts of Shapiro made their way into the building's HVAC system\u201d
— Jesse Singal (@Jesse Singal) 1661458145

"The fact that this sentence — 'The pain caused by this one will always stick with us' — is referring to a human being, @benshapiro , merely being present at a conference while also being conservative shows just how broken our culture is," observed Faithwire News writer Tré Goins-Phillips.

"Imagine putting on a podcast expo and learning one of the most successful podcasters on the planet in @benshapiro has showed up. Normal, sane professionals would be THRILLED. These guys cowered to the fragile feelings of leftists who hate Shapiro," CBN News managing editor Dan Andros said. "Pathetic."

\u201cImagine putting on a podcast expo and learning one of the most successful podcasters on the planet in @benshapiro has showed up. Normal, sane professionals would be THRILLED. These guys cowered to the fragile feelings of leftists who hate Shapiro. \n\nPathetic.\u201d
— Dan Andros (@Dan Andros) 1661458199

"You probably just destroyed your entire business @PodcastMovement . Everyone should demand a refund and cancel any tickets they purchased to future events. #PodcastBowelMovement," said YouTuber Viva Frei.

\u201cYou probably just destroyed your entire business @PodcastMovement. Everyone should demand a refund and cancel any tickets they purchased to future events. #PodcastBowelMovement\u201d
— Viva Frei (@Viva Frei) 1661458373

Podcast Movement was reached for comment, but did not respond. TheBlaze also contacted several sponsors of the event who have relationships with the Daily Wire and support "The Ben Shapiro Show" but did not receive responses before publication.