The Onion Acquires Infowars in Bankruptcy Auction, Pledges Parody Relaunch
In a surprising twist, satirical news outlet The Onion has won the bankruptcy auction for Alex Jones’ Infowars, a platform notorious for spreading conspiracy theories and misinformation. The purchase is backed by families of Sandy Hook victims, to whom Jones owes over $1 billion in defamation judgments for labeling the 2012 shooting a hoax.
The Onion plans to relaunch Infowars as a parody site in January, with a vision to use humor to address conspiracy theories. Following the announcement, Infowars’ website went down, and Jones began streaming from a new location, asserting the sale was premature as he intended to contest it legally. Jones stated, “This is a total attack on free speech,” amidst announcing his show’s shutdown.
Infowars, which included essential assets such as its website, social media accounts, and studio, was acquired at an undisclosed price. The Onion, known for its sharp political satire, has frequently targeted Jones in its articles, often following mass shootings with mocking commentary on gun violence.
“We thought it would be a very funny joke if we bought this thing,” said Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion’s parent company, Global Tetrahedron. “It was us or Alex Jones, who could either continue this website unabated or we could create something new and silly.”
Lawyers representing the Sandy Hook families expressed hope that this acquisition would mark the end of Jones’ harmful influence. Christopher Mattei, a lawyer for the families, remarked, "True accountability meant an end to Infowars and an end to Jones’ ability to spread lies, pain and fear."
This unexpected development signals a significant shift in the legacy of Infowars, as it transitions from a platform of misinformation to one focused on satire and awareness regarding issues like gun violence.
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