It’s no joke: The Onion acquires Alex Jones’ InfoWars at auction | Media News

This time, it’s not sarcasm.

InfoWars, the website of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, has been bought by The Onion – a satirical site – ending the controversial platform that fueled anti-government paranoia in the United States for a quarter of a century.

Thursday’s auction comes as a result of a 2022 verdict that found Jones guilty of nearly $1.5bn for defaming the families of the victims of the shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut, by calling the attack a hoax.

The shooting incident that took place in 2012 in Sandy Hook took the lives of 20 children and six teachers, but Jones lied and said that this incident did not happen, saying that the victims and survivors were troublemakers.

Onion CEO Ben Collins confirmed the sale Thursday, saying it was made possible with the support of Sandy Hook families.

“The Onion is proud to have acquired InfoWars, and we look forward to continuing its famous tradition of scaring the site’s users with lies into giving up their cold hard cash,” Collins said in a statement.

He added that he hopes the families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims will find joy in the “cosmic comedy” that The Onion now owns InfoWars.

Onion

Onyanisi is a satirical website that publishes satirical stories that often portray politicians and current events.

But as US and international politics have changed dramatically in recent years, some Onion articles have come close to explaining the real issues.

The fictional CEO of Global Tetrahedron LLC, the Onion’s parent company, has called InfoWars “an important tool for disinformation and mass control”.

“Throughout, InfoWars has shown an unwavering commitment to generating outrage and victimizing the most vulnerable members of society – values ​​that deeply affect all of us in the Global Tetrahedron,” the satirical statement, by Bryce P Tetraeder, said in a statement.

“No price can be too high for a cornucopia of soft goods and minds.”

Even worse, the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety has announced that it will be an exclusive advertiser on InfoWars when it relaunches in its new format.

“It’s only fitting that a platform that was once used to benefit from tragedy would become an educational tool, hence our commitment to multi-year promotion of this new project,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, in a statement.

“We’re proud to be a part of what’s next, not only in terms of the flow of damaging misinformation, but also in the power of this new venture to help Alltown reach new audiences.”

InfoWars’ home page currently has a short statement that reads: “The site is unavailable until further notice.”

The United States has been dealing with rampant gun violence amid lax laws on the purchase and ownership of firearms.

According to the Gun Violence Archive tracker, 18,854 people were killed in American shootings last year.

The Second Amendment to the US Constitution grants the right to bear arms. Democrats generally advocate stricter gun control, but Republicans generally view gun ownership as a fundamental right.

That’s why Jones and other conspiracy theorists question mass shootings in the country.

The families of Sandy Hook have been demanding that Jones take responsibility for the lies he has spread.

Since the 2022 ruling in their favor, the families have been engaged in legal battles over the collection of damages and the fate of Jones’ assets, including InfoWars.

Chris Mattei, a Connecticut plaintiffs’ attorney, welcomed The Onion’s purchase of InfoWars, calling it a “public service” that would limit Jones’ reach.

“Since day one, these families have fought against all odds to bring down Alex Jones and his corrupt business,” Mattei said in a statement.

“Our clients know that real accountability means the end of Infowars and the end of Jones’ ability to spread lies, hurt and fear on a massive scale.”

Jones is defiant

On the other hand, Jones – as defiant as ever – has vowed to continue broadcasting and fight to save the website, saying he will seek a court injunction to block the sale.

It is unclear how much The Onion paid InfoWars and whether and how the families will receive the money.

“This is the tyranny of the new world order – they want to silence the American people,” Jones said in a video posted on X, denouncing the sale of his website as an attack on free speech.

Although the First Amendment to the US Constitution protects free speech, there are US state and federal laws that prohibit defamation based on lies.

Jones has amassed millions of viewers with his dramatic style and scathing warnings about “international” plans to destroy America.

He moved away from the fringes of the media as he grew his audience and conducted interviews with high-profile politicians, including 2015 presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, describes Jones as “one of the most prolific and powerful conspiracy theorists in contemporary America”.

“With millions of regular viewers and more than two decades on the air, Jones has created a financial empire and product by selling false information and disinformation, as well as self-help food products,” the group said in the Jones report.

“His unverified reporting has led to many innocent people being victimized by internet trolls both online and in person.”