Not a parody: The Onion acquires Alex Jones’s InfoWars in auction

In this case, it’s not satire.

InfoWars, nan website of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, has been purchased by The Onion – a parody outlet – putting an extremity to nan arguable level that drummed up anti-government paranoia successful nan United States for a 4th of a century.

The auction waste connected Thursday came arsenic nan consequence of a 2022 ruling that recovered Jones liable for astir $1.5bn successful damages for defaming nan families of nan victims of a wide shooting astatine an simple schoolhouse successful Newtown, Connecticut, by calling nan onslaught a hoax.

The 2012 shooting astatine Sandy Hook claimed nan lives of 20 children and six educators, but Jones falsely claimed that nan incident did not happen, arguing that nan victims and survivors were situation actors.

The Onion CEO Ben Collins confirmed nan waste connected Thursday, saying that it took spot pinch nan backing of Sandy Hook families.

“The Onion is proud to get InfoWars, and we look guardant to continuing its storied contented of scaring nan site’s users pinch lies until they fork complete their cold, difficult cash,” Collins said successful a statement.

He added that he hopes that nan families of nan Sandy Hook shooting victims will find joyousness successful nan “cosmic joke” that The Onion now owns InfoWars.

The Onion

The Onion is simply a parody website that publishes satirical news stories that often coming a caricature of politicians and existent events.

But pinch US and world authorities taking unusual turns successful caller years, immoderate Onion headlines person travel adjacent to describing existent news.

The fictitious CEO of Global Tetrahedron LLC, The Onion’s genitor company, called InfoWars an “invaluable instrumentality for brainwashing and controlling nan masses”.

“Through it all, InfoWars has shown an unswerving committedness to manufacturing anger and radicalizing nan astir susceptible members of nine – values that resonate profoundly pinch each of america astatine Global Tetrahedron,” a satirical statement, attributed to Bryce P Tetraeder, said.

“No value would beryllium excessively precocious for specified a cornucopia of malleable assets and minds.”

On a much superior note, nan defense group Everytown for Gun Safety announced that it will beryllium an exclusive advertiser connected InfoWars erstwhile it relaunches successful its caller format.

“It’s fitting that a level erstwhile utilized to profit disconnected of calamity will beryllium a instrumentality of education, hence our multi-year advertizing committedness to this caller venture,” John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said successful a statement.

“We’re proud to beryllium a portion of what comes next, not only successful position of staunching nan travel of hurtful misinformation, but besides for nan imaginable this caller task has to thief Everytown scope caller audiences.”

The location page of InfoWars presently features a short connection that reads: “Site unavailable till further notice.”

The US has been suffering from rampant weapon violence amid lax regulations connected nan acquisition and carrying of firearms.

According to nan locator Gun Violence Archive, 18,854 group were killed successful US shootings past year.

The Second Amendment of nan US Constitution grants nan correct to carnivore arms. Democrats usually advocator tighter power of weapons, but Republicans mostly position weapon ownership arsenic a basal right.

That’s why Jones and different right-wing conspiracy theorists person questioned wide shootings successful nan country.

The Sandy Hook families person been pushing to clasp Jones accountable for nan falsehoods he has dispersed astir them.

Since nan 2022 ruling successful their favour, nan families person been engaged successful an ongoing ineligible conflict complete nan postulation of nan damages and nan destiny of Jones’s assets, including InfoWars.

Chris Mattei, a lawyer for nan Connecticut plaintiffs, welcomed nan acquisition of InfoWars by The Onion, calling it a “public service” that will diminish Jones’s reach.

“From time one, these families person fought against each likelihood to bring existent accountability to Alex Jones and his corrupt business,” Mattei said successful a statement.

“Our clients knew that existent accountability meant an extremity to Infowars and an extremity to Jones’s expertise to dispersed lies, symptom and fearfulness astatine scale.”

Jones defiant

For his part, Jones – defiant arsenic ever – pledged to proceed broadcasting and fighting to support nan website, saying that he would activity a tribunal injunction to artifact nan sale.

It is unclear really overmuch The Onion paid for InfoWars and whether nan families will person nan costs and how.

“This is nan tyranny of nan caller world bid – hopeless to soundlessness nan American people,” Jones said successful a video posted connected X, decrying nan waste of his website arsenic an onslaught connected free speech.

While nan First Amendment of nan US Constitution protects free speech, location are authorities and national US laws that prohibit defamation based connected falsehoods.

Jones had amassed millions of viewers pinch his bombastic style and alarmist warnings astir land by “the globalists” to destruct America.

He moved from nan fringes of nan media scenery arsenic he grew his assemblage and he has conducted interviews pinch mainstream right-wing politicians, including then-candidate Donald Trump successful 2015.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks dislike groups, describes Jones arsenic “one of nan astir prolific and influential conspiracy theorists successful modern America”.

“With millions of regular viewers and complete 2 decades connected nan air, Jones has created a financial and marque empire retired of trading misinformation and disinformation, arsenic good arsenic self-help dietary products,” nan group says successful a study connected Jones.

“His uncorroborated reporting has led to galore guiltless group being harassed by net trolls some online and successful person.”