In an unexpected twist, the satirical news outlet The Onion has acquired Alex Jones’s controversial platform, Infowars, in a bankruptcy auction backed by Sandy Hook victims’ families. The auction follows over $1 billion USD in defamation judgments owed by Jones, who falsely claimed the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre was a hoax. Robbie Parker, whose daughter was one of the 26 victims, voiced the families’ relief: “The dissolution of Alex Jones’s assets and the death of Infowars is the justice we have long awaited and fought for.”
The acquisition, which includes Infowars’ website, social media accounts, and studio in Austin, Texas, has brought both relief and a satirical edge to the platform’s controversial history. The Onion’s new partnership with gun violence prevention group Everytown for Gun Safety will launch with awareness initiatives on Infowars’ channels. Everytown’s campaign will promote common-sense gun laws, aiming to counter the misinformation Infowars once proliferated.
Jones, in a visibly distressed state during a live broadcast, announced he would challenge the sale, stating on social media platform X, “They are ordering shutdown without court approval.” Despite the sale, Jones has hinted at plans to relaunch his broadcasts on alternative channels he claims are already set up.
The Onion, known for its sharp satire, sees this acquisition as fitting. Joel Kaplan, a Syracuse University professor, remarked that the unusual pairing “actually makes a lot of sense,” given both platforms’ cultural impact. A humorous piece from The Onion’s fictitious CEO Bryce P. Tetraeder expressed that Infowars is “a cornucopia of malleable assets and minds,” underscoring The Onion’s continued commitment to satire.
Source: swifteradio.com
