It is really very hard to think of a more exact description of "corporate media" than a media that gets funded by the payment of hundreds of millions of dollars by a corporation for the rights.
He is literally corporate media.
That makes him a rando for the majority of people just like me, those who are not interested in or follow MMA.
The point I was making is not whether he’s really a rando or not, TV journalists sure think he is, because according to them he shouldn’t get a seat on the table.
I'd probably agree with that, depending on the reason for gathering around the table.
If the topic is professional fighting or podcasting, he belongs there. If the topic is immigration policy or foreign affairs, he probably shouldn't be invited.
Is there anybody who deserves a seat at every table or, conversely, at no tables?
"TV journalists" criticize him for spreading misinformation.
That's the point. He's not a rando anymore but he absolutely was (at least as a talkshow host). Joe was indeed "some guy with a mic and a laptop recording the show" as you describe (here, check the first episode https://www.facebook.com/JoeRoganClips/videos/the-very-first..., sorry for FB link, but I can't find it anywhere anymore).
> he’s getting paid millions of dollars by a corporation to speak exclusively on their platform
He may be getting paid a lot for his show by Spotify, but he's no corporate media. From what I see he's still as genuine as he was before the exclusive deal. Joe has a family and he made it big, which pissed off the "we tell the population what to believe" crowd.
> He’s horoscopes and crystals for people who think they’re intellectuals.
What this tells me is that you haven't listened to that show at all. You couldn't be more wrong on this, it's pretty much as far away from that type of BS as it can get. Mainstream media is at this point the horoscope/crystal people.