The Onion Buys Alex Jones’ Infowars to Combat Misinformation

The Onion, a satirical news organization, is set to acquire the assets of Alex Jones’ Infowars platform. This move aims to transform the site, once used to spread false claims, into a parody. The goal is to prevent the platform from being used to inflict further harm on victims and their families.

Sandy Hook Families Seek Closure

Chris Maddy, an attorney representing Sandy Hook families, expressed optimism about this development. “We feel really good that we’re one step closer to achieving one of the primary goals that the families had when they brought this litigation,” Maddy stated.

The families sought to stop Alex Jones from causing widespread harm, similar to the pain he inflicted after the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. He falsely claimed the massacre was a hoax, leading to a $1.4 billion defamation judgment against him.

The path to this point has been complex, involving bankruptcy court proceedings. However, The Onion is expected to license Infowars’ intellectual property on an interim basis before a full purchase.

Maddy highlighted that this is a significant non-financial victory for the families. “We are very close we feel to achieving a very important non-financial goal here,” he said.

Disrupting Jones’ Business Infrastructure

Alex Jones has vowed to continue his broadcasts on a new platform. Maddy acknowledged that completely silencing Jones was never a realistic objective.

“It was always true that Alex Jones, if he had a microphone in an iPhone, would be able to film himself,” Maddy explained. The focus, therefore, is on dismantling the business infrastructure Jones built over two decades.

This includes liquidating customer data, video archives, and supplement supplies. “Every bit of personal income he receives going forward is going to be coming to the Sandy Hook families because his debt is non-dischargeable,” Maddy clarified. This ensures that any earnings Jones makes will go towards fulfilling his debt to the families, preventing him from rebuilding his operation.

“If Alex Jones wants to continue to work just to fork over every nickel he makes to these families, he’s certainly free to do that. But he will not have the corrupt business infrastructure behind him that he has for the last 20 years.” – Chris Maddy, Attorney

The Onion’s Role in Combating Misinformation

The Onion’s CEO, Ben Collins, outlined the organization’s vision for the acquired platform. Collins noted that people now receive information through different channels, often from sources that make extreme claims.

“No one has really made fun of these people professionally yet,” Collins said. The Onion plans to use humor and satire to critique individuals who have contributed to what they see as a damaged media environment.

The Onion aims to create “caricatures and grotesqueries” of those who have spread misinformation. Maddy sees this as a valuable countermeasure.

“We’ve been a counter to the misinformation that’s been out there, put out there by people exactly like Alex Jones,” he commented. The hope is that exposing the absurdity of such claims through satire will resonate with audiences.

Satire as a Tool for Truth

Maddy believes that the evidence presented during the defamation trial revealed Jones’ lack of genuine belief in his own claims. “Despite years of shoveling lies to him, to his audience, that he never really believed them,” Maddy stated. The Onion’s use of humor could potentially reach the same audience and offer a different perspective.

This approach could help individuals question the information they receive. “The Onion’s use of humor and satire to reach that same audience, and perhaps bring some of them out of the dark, could be a really beneficial use,” Maddy added. The platform, once a tool for harmful lies, is being repurposed to challenge the very nature of misinformation.

What’s Next

The acquisition is awaiting final judicial approval. Families and legal representatives will continue to monitor the situation to ensure all terms are met. The transition of Infowars’ assets to The Onion marks a significant step in holding purveyors of disinformation accountable.

Source: If Jones wants to work to give every nickel to Sandy Hook families he's free to do that: Lawyer (YouTube)