The Onion has agreed to a new deal to take over Infowars
NPR • • nation
Key Points:
- The Onion has reached a deal to take over Infowars, Alex Jones's far-right media company, pending approval by a Texas judge, aiming to transform the site into a parody of itself and end Jones's platform for conspiracy theories.
- Families of Sandy Hook shooting victims, who won a $1.3 billion defamation judgment against Jones, support the deal as a way to stop his harassment and misinformation, and to collect damages owed to them.
- The Onion plans to relaunch Infowars as a satire and comedy network advocating for gun control, calling the deal a significant step to repurpose a notorious misinformation platform for social good.
- Alex Jones has denied the legitimacy of the deal, threatened to appeal, and indicated he may continue broadcasting under a different name, despite losing control of Infowars.
- The licensing deal involves The Onion paying $81,000 monthly to the Texas receiver managing Infowars assets, with Jones's personal bankruptcy proceedings ongoing to liquidate his property for the families' benefit.
