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misinformation
Media Justice as The Onion Buys Infowars From 'Hateful' (and Bankrupt) Alex Jones
"This is going to be our answer to this no-guardrails world where there are no gatekeepers and everything's kind of insane," said the CEO of The Onion.
Nov 14, 2024
In what one journalist called an "insane twist" to the long saga of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' use of his online platform to spread rampant disinformation, satirical newspaper The Onion on Thursday announced it had won an auction to buy Infowars, Jones' bankrupt publication.
Jones declared bankruptcy in 2022 after the families of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting won nearly $1.5 million in damages in lawsuits they filed over Jones' repeated claims on his show that the shooting had been a hoax.
Jones claimed the families and victims—20 first graders and six educators—were crisis actors, inciting his supporters to threaten the grieving families.
The auction included everything from Jones' desk and production studio to his diet supplement line, and the Sandy Hook families supported The Onion's effort to take control of Infowars, which the company said would be relaunched as a parody of itself.
"The Onion's goal with the acquisition is to end Infowars' relentless barrage of disinformation for the sake of selling supplements and replace it with The Onion's relentless barrage of humor for good," said the company in a press release, which did not state how much The Onion paid for Infowars.
Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion's parent company, Global Tetrahedron, toldThe New York Times that he and other leaders at the newspaper initially thought purchasing Infowars "would be a hilarious joke" to play on Jones.
"This is going to be our answer to this no-guardrails world where there are no gatekeepers and everything's kind of insane," he told the Times.
Collins, who previously reported on misinformation for NBC News, reached out to a lawyer representing Sandy Hook families and asked for their input on The Onion's auction bid. The families approved.
"By divesting Jones of Infowars' assets, the families and the team at The Onion have done a public service and will meaningfully hinder Jones' ability to do more harm."
"From Day One, these families have fought against all odds to bring true accountability to Alex Jones and his corrupt business," said Chris Mattei, the families' lawyer. "Our clients knew that true accountability meant an end to Infowars and an end to Jones' ability to spread lies, pain, and fear at scale... By divesting Jones of Infowars' assets, the families and the team at The Onion have done a public service and will meaningfully hinder Jones' ability to do more harm."
Mattei added that the families rejected Jones' offer "for allegedly more money if they would only let him stay on the air because doing so would have put other families in harm's way."
Robbie Parker, whose daughter Emilie was killed at Sandy Hook, said in a statement that the families had been "told this outcome would be nearly impossible, but we are no strangers to impossible fights."
"The world needs to see that having a platform does not mean you are above accountability—the dissolution of Alex Jones' assets and the death of Infowars is the justice we have long awaited and fought for," said Parker.
The Onion has "made an indelible mark on the public response to school shootings," said the company, pointing to its repeated printing of the headline, "'No Way to Prevent This,' Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens," which has appeared in the newspaper 37 times following school shootings.
Advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety plans to work closely with The Onion on the new Infowars parody site, which Collins said would mock "weird internet personalities" who traffic in misinformation. Everytown has signed a multiyear advertising deal with the company.
"Alex Jones has profited off the pain of Sandy Hook families," said Everytown, "and his brand of hateful disinformation has seeped into mainstream American culture.We're excited to join them as they turn the page on this toxic chapter of misinformation and begin the next chapter of InfoWars, turning it into a tool to combat disinformation and extremism through humor. Not only will this new venture staunch the flow of hurtful misinformation, but it also holds significant potential for us to reach new audiences in the fight for gun safety."
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'Armed Militia' Threatened FEMA Recovery Workers in North Carolina
"Let's be clear," said one journalist. "Armed militia are terrorizing FEMA rescue workers and causing important work to stop because Donald Trump spread lies and disinformation about the hurricane."
Oct 14, 2024
A progressive policy group in North Carolina was among those expressing alarm on Sunday as news spread that federal emergency workers were forced to evacuate an area hit hard by Hurricane Helene late last month after officials warned that "armed militias" were "hunting" hurricane response teams.
But the news didn't come as a shock to Carolina Forward, an independent think tank, considering that it came after weeks of lies from Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump about the Biden administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) response to the hurricane.
"This is what MAGA does," said Carolina Forward on social media. "Eventually, their lies have real world consequences."
As The Washington Postreported Sunday evening, a U.S. Forest Service official sent an urgent message to other federal agencies involved in the recovery on Saturday afternoon, saying FEMA had advised all federal responders in Rutherford County, North Carolina "to stand down and evacuate the county immediately."
National Guard troops in the area, said the official, "had come across x2 trucks of armed militia saying there were out hunting FEMA."
The message was verified by two federal officials.
"It's terrible because a lot of these folks who need assistance are refusing it because they believe the stuff people are saying about FEMA and the government... And it's sad because they are probably the ones who need the help the most."
Emergency responders moved to a "safe area" and paused their work in Rutherford County, where they had been delivering supplies and clearing trees from roads in order to help search-and-rescue crews.
"Let's be clear: Armed militia are terrorizing FEMA rescue workers and causing important work to stop because Donald Trump spread lies and disinformation about the hurricane. This is on the Republican candidate for president with help from Elon Musk," said media critic Jennifer Schulze, referring to the billionaire owner of X who has used the social media platform to amplify Trump's lies. "Shameful and disqualifying."
Fox News affiliate WGHP reported Monday that a man was charged with threatening FEMA workers in Rutherford County. The suspect was identified as William Jacob Parsons, who was armed with a handgun when he was arrested. Investigators said he acted alone.
The forced pause in the work is just the latest example of the measurable impact of statements made by Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), about FEMA in the wake of hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas warned last Thursday that federal employees, thousands of whom have been deployed to states including North Carolina and Florida to help with the response to the devastating storms, have received threats in recent days. Meteorologists have received angry messages from people convinced that weather experts and government officials "are creating and directing hurricanes," The Guardianreported last week.
"I have had a bunch of people saying I created and steered the hurricane, there are people assuming we control the weather," Katie Nickolaou, a meteorologist in Michigan, toldThe Guardian. "I have had to point out that a hurricane has the energy of 10,000 nuclear bombs and we can't hope to control that. But it's taken a turn to more violent rhetoric, especially with people saying those who created Milton should be killed."
President Joe Biden was driven to address Trump's lies about the hurricane response last week, saying the disinformation was "undermining confidence in the incredible rescue and recovery work that has already been taken and will continue to be taken."
Since Helene swept through a number of states late last month, catching communities in western North Carolina off-guard with devastating flooding, Trump has baselessly claimed that:
- Biden ignored a call for help from Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who denied Trump's claim;
- He received unspecified "reports" that North Carolina officials were "going out of their way to not help people in Republican areas";
- Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, spent "all her FEMA money" on housing for undocumented immigrants; and
- FEMA is providing only $750 to people who lost their homes.
Riva Duncan, a former Forest Service official in hard-hit Asheville, North Carolina, told the Post that locals have told FEMA employees who have arrived with aid to to help with repairs, "We don't want your help here."
"It's terrible because a lot of these folks who need assistance are refusing it because they believe the stuff people are saying about FEMA and the government," Duncan told the newspaper. "And it's sad because they are probably the ones who need the help the most."
In the town of Chimney Rock in Rutherford County, FEMA has shifted to working in secure areas in fixed locations instead of going door to door to assess community needs, the Post reported, "out of an abundance of caution."
Matt Ortega, a web developer in Oakland, California, said the impact of Trump's baseless claims about the hurricane response mirror that of his earlier lies about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, where schools and government business ground to a halt in recent weeks due to bomb threats stemming from claims that Haitian people were stealing neighbors' pets and eating them.
"Trump and Republicans' FEMA lies [incur] a debt, just as they did in Springfield," said Ortega. "The people who pay it are children whose schools are closed due to bomb threats in Springfield and recovery aid workers when militias are 'out hunting FEMA.'"
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The Dangerous Speed of Misinformation Following Trump Assassination Attempt
In an era where misinformation can spread faster than ever before, it is more important than ever for journalists and politicians to uphold the highest standards of accuracy and integrity.
Jul 15, 2024
Saturday's assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump has highlighted a deeply troubling trend in American politics: the pervasive spread of misinformation and conspiracy theories. Following the incident at a rally in Pennsylvania, baseless claims quickly spread online, suggesting that the attack was orchestrated by political opponents or even President Biden himself. Figures like Senator JD Vance and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene have propagated these theories, further fueling division.
These conspiracy theories not only distract from the severity of the event but also contribute to the erosion of public trust in democratic institutions. For instance, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland had to publicly refute claims that the FBI had been authorized to use deadly force against Trump during the Mar-a-Lago search, calling these allegations "false and extremely dangerous." This incident starkly illustrates how quickly misinformation can take root and distort public perception.
In this landscape, the role of the media and politicians becomes critically important. Media outlets bear a significant responsibility to ensure their reporting is accurate and fact-based. Sensationalism and the rush to break news can sometimes lead to the dissemination of unverified information, which can then be exploited by those seeking to promote false narratives. Rigorous fact-checking and a steadfast commitment to journalistic integrity are essential in countering this trend.
The assassination attempt on Donald Trump should serve as a wake-up call.
Politicians also have a crucial role to play. When leaders propagate or fail to denounce misinformation, they contribute to a culture of distrust and division. The reaction to the assassination attempt on Trump is a case in point. While some political figures have taken steps to clarify and refute false claims, others have either remained silent or, worse, amplified these conspiracy theories for political gain.
The dangers of false narratives are manifold. They can incite violence, as evidenced by the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, where misinformation about the 2020 presidential election played a significant role. The recent attempt on Trump's life, followed by immediate and widespread conspiracy theories, echoes this dangerous precedent. When people are led to believe in falsehoods, they may feel justified in taking extreme actions.
Moreover, misinformation corrodes the foundational principles of democracy. Trust in institutions is essential for a functioning democracy; when that trust is undermined, the very fabric of society is at risk. Citizens need to have confidence that their leaders and the media are committed to the truth. Without this trust, democratic processes become vulnerable to manipulation and coercion.
Addressing this issue requires a collective effort. Media organizations must prioritize accuracy over speed, ensuring that their reporting does not inadvertently contribute to the spread of misinformation. Implementing stringent editorial standards and encouraging a culture of accountability can help in this regard.
Politicians and public figures must also commit to truthfulness in their communications. This means actively debunking false narratives and refraining from using misinformation as a political tool. Bipartisan efforts to promote media literacy and critical thinking among the public can also play a vital role in combating the spread of false information.
The assassination attempt on Donald Trump should serve as a wake-up call. It is a stark reminder of the importance of truthfulness in political discourse. By prioritizing fact-based reporting and holding our leaders accountable for their words, we can begin to rebuild trust in our democratic institutions and safeguard the future of our democracy.
Truthfulness is not just a moral imperative; it is a practical necessity for the health of our society. In an era where misinformation can spread faster than ever before, it is more important than ever for journalists and politicians to uphold the highest standards of accuracy and integrity. Doing so will not only help prevent future violence but also ensure that our democracy remains robust and resilient in the face of challenges. By collectively committing to truthfulness, we can move toward a more informed and united society, better equipped to tackle the complex issues of our time.
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