The Onion, the US satirical publication known for its humorous take on current events, has proposed a daring plan to take control of Infowars, the media platform run by right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. The Onion's latest proposal, which must pass judicial scrutiny, seeks to establish a licensing agreement permitting it to produce and publish parody content through Infowars.
This follows a previous attempt by The Onion to outright purchase the controversial site, which was dismissed by a court due to concerns about the auction process not yielding the best bids. Jones is reportedly planning to contest this latest effort.
Infowars faces potential liquidation following a massive defamation judgment against Jones concerning false claims made about the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, where 26 people were killed in 2012. Prior to this legal decision, Jones had referred to the massacre as a giant hoax, yet later acknowledged the reality of the killings while asserting that his comments fell under free speech protections.
In 2022, as the legal proceedings intensified, Jones filed for bankruptcy, and in June 2024, a judge began the process of liquidating his assets. The Onion's current proposal outlines an initial six-month licensing arrangement, with the possibility for renewal, and aims to redirect some profits towards the families of Sandy Hook victims.
The Onion's CEO, Ben Collins, expressed his vision of creating engaging parody content that reflects and critiques online conspiracy theorists and misinformation purveyors. Collins hopes this transformation would bring a comedic yet poignant response to the kinds of harmful narratives often propagated by Infowars.
Despite his struggles, Jones declared he would persist with his typical content, stating he would continue to broadcast 'the exact same show' irrespective of the proposed changes.
