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Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones' Infowars at auction with Sandy Hook families' backing (apnews.com)

submitted 1 week ago by UrLogicFails@beehaw.org to c/usnews@beehaw.org

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Some key excerpts:

The satirical news publication The Onion won the bidding for Alex Jones’ Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, backed by families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims whom Jones owes more than $1 billion in defamation judgments for calling the massacre a hoax.

The Onion acquired the conspiracy theory platform’s website; social media accounts; studio in Austin, Texas; trademarks; and video archive. The sale price was not immediately disclosed.

Jones was angry and defiant as he broadcast live with Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon, vowing to challenge the sale and the auction process in court. Jones said he would move to a new studio, websites and social media accounts that were already set up.

The Onion consulted on the bidding with some of the Sandy Hook families that sued Jones for defamation and emotional distress in lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas, lawyers for the families said.

Jones has been saying on his show that if his supporters won the bidding, he could stay on the Infowars platforms. The bankruptcy trustee named First United American Companies, a company affiliated with one of Jones’ product-selling sites, as the “backup bid,” in case The Onion purchase falls through.

You can also find the (somewhat less informative) official announcement on The Onion's website.

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[–] UrLogicFails@beehaw.org 27 points 1 week ago

I am absolutely tickled by the idea of The Onion buying an equally reputable news source out of what can only be read as contempt for Alex Jones.

I must also say the official announcement is quite funny as well.

If this falls through, though, I would be quite sad; as the implication is Alex Jones would get to stay on, then.