LOS ANGELES – In a turn of events that blends irony with responsibility, “The Onion” won the rights to Alex Jones’ Infowars in a bankruptcy auction backed by the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims.

Those families, who won more than $1 billion in defamation judgments against Jones, supported “The Onion’s” bid to take over and transform Infowars from a conspiracy-based platform into a satire site.

The Infowars website went offline shortly after the sale was announced, and “The Onion” plans to relaunch it in January with parody content and educational materials about gun safety, according to the Associated Press. “The liquidation of Alex Jones’ assets and the death of Infowars is the justice we have long waited for and fought for,” said Robbie Parker, whose daughter Emilie was one of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting.

What is The Onion planning for Infowars?

Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion’s parent company, Global Tetrahedron, said the relaunch will target misinformation by parodying conspiracy theories and providing concrete content in collaboration with organizations like Everytown for Gun Safety. “The Sandy Hook families decided to support our bid because it meant they could end Jones’ platform of spreading lies and replace it with something humorous and educational,” Collins told the AP.

In a satirical statement about the sale, The Onion wrote: “A formidable group of special interests overpowered the hapless owner of InfoWars and forced him to sell it for a bargain: less than a trillion dollars.”

Alex Jones vows to challenge Infowars sale

Jones responded angrily on his live broadcast, calling the purchase “an attack on free speech” and saying he planned to challenge the sale in court. Although he lost control of Infowars’ main assets, including its website and trademarks, Jones still retains his personal social media accounts, with the court set to determine whether those accounts can also be auctioned off.

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 14: In this photo illustration, The Onion’s website is displayed on a computer screen, featuring a satirical story titled Here’s Why I Decided To Buy ‘InfoWars’, on November 14, 2024 in Pasadena, California. satirist

Sandy Hook families fight for accountability

Sandy Hook families took legal action against Jones after he repeatedly claimed the 2012 shooting, which killed 20 children and six adults, was a hoax. Although Jones has since admitted that the tragedy was “100 percent real,” many families continue to deal with years of harassment and trauma resulting from his statements and influence.

Now, as part of the relaunch, the new Infowars website will feature educational materials provided by Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization dedicated to ending gun violence. John Feinblatt, president of Everytown, called the sale “poetic justice,” adding that “this new chapter of Infowars will be about safety and accountability.”

The future of Infowars under The Onion

“The Onion,” known for its satirical takes on everything from politics to pop culture, says its version of Infowars will continue its mission of mocking misinformation while educating the public. The Onion, which claims to have “4.3 trillion daily readers,” previously poked fun at Jones and his conspiracy theories, making him a fitting new owner for his former platform.

Source: This article includes information from an Associated Press report and direct statements from “The Onion,” as well as comments from Sandy Hook families and gun safety advocates, gleaned specifically from recent AP interviews.