Media

Podcast Convention Apologizes For ‘Harm’ Caused By Ben Shapiro’s ‘Presence’

Politicon 2018 - Day 2

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Nicole Silverio Media Reporter
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A podcast conference apologized Thursday for the alleged “harm” done by The Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro’s unexpected presence at his outlet’s booth.

The convention said Shapiro, host of the conservative podcast “The Ben Shapiro Show,” unexpectedly arrived at the Podcast Movement’s annual PM22 exposition, without having registered to make an appearance. Podcast Movement, an annual conference consisting of thousands of podcasters and industry professionals on a global scale, gave The Daily Wire a first-time booth due to its widespread production of podcasts.

“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 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 said Shapiro’s appearance was “unacceptable” and promised to choose its sponsors more carefully. (RELATED: Audience Stands Up For Ben Shapiro Against Protesters: ‘USA, USA’)

“Those of you who called this ‘unacceptable’ are right. In 9 wonderful years growing and celebrating this medium, PM [Podcast Movement] has made mistakes,” they wrote. “The pain caused by this one will always stick with us. We promise that sponsors will be more carefully considered moving forward.”

Shapiro said he is “shaking” over Podcast Movement’s apology and accused them of “erasure” in a statement posted to Twitter.

“Literally shaking rn. Podcast Movement is threatening my right to exist. This is erasure,” he said.

Podcast Movement did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment. Westwood One, an audio network that provides “The Ben Shapiro Show” and a sponsor of Podcast Movement, did not respond to the Daily Caller on whether it will continue to support the conference after its remarks about Shapiro.

Some conservatives and social media users eviscerated the convention’s apology.

“You sound like *completely insane people*,” Federalist Editor-in-Chief Mollie Hemingway said. “What in the world is wrong with you? 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?”

The Daily Wire produces several conservative podcasts, including the “The Michael Knowles Show,” “Candace,” “The Matt Walsh Show,” and “The Jordan Peterson Show.”