![NY Times reporter causes uproar with viral tweet telling media to look inward over why Americans trust Joe Rogan](https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/ny-times-reporter-causes-uproar-with-viral-tweet-telling-media-to-look-inward-over-why-americans-trust-joe-rogan.jpg?id=29206024&width=1245&height=700&quality=85&coordinates=0%2C6%2C0%2C7)
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Who fact-checks the fact-checkers?
New York Times reporter Matthew Rosenberg triggered a massive response Sunday after suggesting in a viral tweet that the mainstream media look inward to discover why Americans trust Joe Rogan over traditional media.
Rogan's podcast "The Joe Rogan Experience" reportedly averages about 11 million listeners per episode, making him one of the most influential personalities in the country. By comparison, the most popular talk radio programs average per week what Rogan averages per episode, while the most popular cable news shows only garner a fraction of Rogan's audience at best.
As the attempts to cancel Rogan increase — attempts that are often elevated by the media (as in the case of Neil Young) — Rosenberg suggested that his peers should engage in introspection to understand why and how Rogan has amassed the following and platform that he has.
"Joe Rogan is what he is. We in the media might want to spend more time thinking about why so many people trust him instead of us," Rosenberg said.
Joe Rogan is what he is. We in the media might want to spend more time thinking about why so many people trust him instead of us.— Matthew Rosenberg (@Matthew Rosenberg) 1643574980
Rosenberg later said the purpose of his tweet was to wake up his mainstream media colleagues. He also said that Rogan should not be controlled and explained that self-reflection within the media should prompt action that improves the media's "standing" with Americans.
Rosenberg's appeal elicited some hateful responses, ranging from "propaganda works" to demeaning quips about middle America and insults targeting Rogan's audience, and even the same regurgitated attacks that progressives lodge against Rogan.
Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the "1619 Project" and a New York Times reporter, also said she did not "get" Rosenberg's question, adding in a now-deleted tweet, "We need to understand why millions of Americans don't mind the open racism?"
But a tsunami of responses praised Rosenberg for asking the question and explained that the issue is not necessarily about trust, but that Rogan is seen as honest and the media are not.
Meanwhile, Glenn Greenwald observed that Hannah-Jones' reaction both perfectly demonstrates the problem with media and answers Rosenberg's question.
"In response to @AllMattNYT's earnest question of why millions of people trust Joe Rogan but not corporate media, Nikole Hannah-Jones said — get ready: it's shocking! — it's because they're all basically racist. That's as much of an 'answer' as you'll get," Greenwald said.