The Onion proposes turning Alex Jones' Infowars into a parody site to benefit Sandy Hook families
The satirical news outlet The Onion has submitted a new proposal to take over conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' Infowars platforms and transform them into a parody website, pending approval from a Texas judge. According to reports, The Onion's parent company Global Tetrahedron announced the licensing agreement on Monday, which would grant the outlet exclusive temporary control of Infowars' intellectual property, website, and social media accounts.
The deal represents a significant development in the ongoing legal aftermath of Jones' defamation cases. In 2022, Jones was found liable for repeatedly claiming the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre was a "hoax," a statement that devastated the families of the 20 children and six educators killed in the shooting. Jones now owes more than $1 billion in defamation judgments to these families, and his company Free Speech Systems faces liquidation to satisfy these debts.
Under The Onion's proposal, the satirical outlet would pay $81,000 monthly to cover rent, utilities, and operational costs for Infowars' Austin-based studios. Ben Collins, chief executive of The Onion, stated that the deal could be finalized around April 30 if approved by Judge Maya Guerra Gamble. The licensing arrangement would initially last six months with the option to renew for an additional six months while a court-appointed receiver works to eventually sell the company's assets and distribute proceeds to the Sandy Hook families.
The Onion has already begun assembling a team to operate the platform as a comedy venture, including Tim Heidecker, one half of the comedy duo Tim and Eric known for their work on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. Collins indicated plans to expand the operation into a larger comedy network, with all profits directed to the Sandy Hook families. The court-appointed receiver is supporting the proposal, and the families themselves have backed The Onion's plan as a pathway to recoup funds through merchandise sales and future asset acquisition.
This marks The Onion's second attempt to acquire Infowars after a federal judge previously blocked its winning auction bid. The new licensing approach appears designed to navigate earlier legal obstacles while still accomplishing the outlet's stated goal of converting the conspiracy platform into satirical content.