Podcast Conference Begs Forgiveness for Hosting Ben Shapiro after Social-Media Backlash

On Wednesday, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro made an appearance on the floor of Podcast Movement’s conference in Dallas, Texas. He was received warmly at his company’s booth — which Daily Wire paid thousands of dollars for — where he took selfies and glad-handed with fans.

Yet one day later, Daily Wire (also a presenting sponsor of the conference that contributed a minimum of $10,000 to finance the event, according to the Podcast Movement website) was informed by Podcast Movement that it was ending its relationship with Daily Wire — after a limited number of social-media users complained about Shapiro’s presence at the conference.

“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,” wrote one fearful attendee on Twitter.

“What’s next? Nick Fuentes on the keynote state?” asked another, referring to a white nationalist commentator.

While the conservative media company received limited information about what that meant directly from the horse’s mouth, Podcast Movement expanded on the decision in a self-flagellating tweetstorm.

“Hi folks, we owe you an apology before sessions kick off before 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,” explained the conference through its official Twitter account, which is now locked so that only followers can view its tweets.

By the time its Twitter thread had reached its conclusion, Podcast Movement — which calls itself “the front page of podcasting, designed for you and the community we love” and “the hub for podcasting news, resources, and thought leadership” — had described the Daily Wire as “dangerous,” its own decision to accept the company’s money “unacceptable,” and stated that “PM has made mistakes. The pain caused by this one will always stick with us.”

It did not, however, identify any specific objection to Shapiro or Daily Wire, and has not told the company if it will be returning the apparently tainted money it received for the booth and sponsorship, according to a source familiar with the situation. Shapiro responded to Podcast Movement’s thread, satirically claiming to have been triggered by the conference’s decision.

Shapiro’s visits to college campuses around the country have been the subject of much controversy, as progressive groups have often sought to disrupt and prevent him from speaking.

In 2017, a Shapiro speech at the U.C. Berkeley required the attendance of police in riot gear, the closing of nearby buildings and large security perimeter. Nine people were arrested outside of the event, three for carrying “banned weapons.” The year before, Depaul University revoked an invitation to Shapiro

Westwood One, the radio network that sells ad space on the Ben Shapiro Show and has profited from it since its inception, has not responded to a request for comment.

Podcast Movement did not respond when asked whether it would apply the same standard to other conservative commentators who host popular podcasts on networks such as IHeart, which is affiliated with Buck Sexton and also sponsored the convention.