The recent news surrounding the satirical website The Onion acquiring the far-right conspiracy-filled platform Infowars, originally owned by Alex Jones, has gained massive attention and sparked various reactions across the media spectrum. What began as an offhand joke escalated to what could be one of the most bizarre acquisitions ever seen.
Last June, The Onion CEO Ben Collins came up with the idea to buy Infowars when he noticed federal bankruptcy proceedings were underway against Jones. The renowned conspiracy theorist had been ordered to liquidate his assets to pay off the staggering $1.4 billion judgment levied against him for defaming families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims. The notion of The Onion executing such absurdity struck Collins as “one of the funniest jokes of all time,” leading him to seriously contemplate the acquisition.
After gauging interest and feedback from his network comprising various comedy writers and creatives associated with the Onion Hall of Fame, Collins decided to pursue the acquisition. On one fated Thursday morning, he boldly tweeted, proclaiming to prepare for “the funniest news you’ve ever heard,” before announcing the takeover of Infowars.
Yet, this unusual acquisition hit some roadblocks shortly after its announcement. A federal bankruptcy judge overseeing the liquidation process had concerns about the auction's protocol, particularly about last-minute changes made to how bids were accepted. This led to the judge pausing the acquisition process to review these alterations, with formal hearings set for the following week. Collins stated about the acquisition, "Please don’t expect us to make more expensive jokes than this," indicating the lighthearted mood surrounding the deal, though the legal landscapes proved otherwise.
The terms of this unique purchase remain undisclosed, but it is noted to include Infowars’ intellectual property, various assets, and Jones’ former supplements brand known for promoting various wellness products to his audience. Despite its humorous underpinnings, The Onion's intention with this acquisition appears quite serious. Collins emphasized the goal to quite literally dismantle the fear-based narratives propagated by Jones and to highlight absurdities connected to the conspiracy-laden content.
According to Collins, the plan moving forward involves transitioning Infowars to reflect more satire than conspiracy, launching it from The Onion’s Chicago base with collaboration from gun control advocacy organization Everytown for Gun Safety. The partnership aims to create ad campaigns with respectful tributes to the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy, rooting the new iteration of Infowars firmly within the narrative of confronting misinformation instead of spreading it.
On the flip side of this acquisition, Alex Jones himself, clearly flustered by the news, expressed confusion during his broadcasts. He found it hard to grapple with the reality of The Onion hijacking his platform and seemingly questioned the integrity of the reported exchange. Jones’ company, Free Speech Systems LLC, faces challenges too, especially with the significant debts accrued from legal battles.
While The Onion prepares to relaunch Infowars come January 2025, the larger conversation serves as both dark comedy and stark reality. By engaging with the history and content of Infowars, they will attempt to expose the absurd lengths the original platform went to manufacture panic aimed at selling products. The future of Infowars under the Onion umbrella not only provides humor but should also help reclaim narratives, easing the spread of notorious misinformation.
This acquisition challenges narratives, blurring the lines between satire and reality, and instigates reflection on the responsibility of information providers. By marrying humor with serious social issues, may it serve as both entertainment and education, highlighting contemporary discourse on conspiracies, misinformation, and the consequences of those narratives.
