The Onion’s InfoWars reboot launches July 2nd
▼ Summary
– The Onion’s InfoWars will launch on July 2nd as a comedy and cultural platform, replacing the conspiracy network previously run by Alex Jones.
– The relaunch was developed with support from Sandy Hook families, who were targeted by Jones’ hoax claims about the 2012 school shooting.
– The Onion raised $100,000 through merch sales for the Sandy Hook families, the first funds they will receive from the InfoWars sale process.
– Comedian Tim Heidecker will lead the new InfoWars, which will feature original programming and new comedic voices.
– The Onion will license the InfoWars brand from a court-appointed manager, with the site currently in legal limbo but proceeding with the relaunch.
The satirical news outlet The Onion has officially set a launch date for its takeover of InfoWars. On July 2nd, the controversial conspiracy network previously owned by Alex Jones will be reborn as a comedy and media platform. The announcement comes over a year after reports surfaced that The Onion was working to acquire the property from Jones, a conspiracy theorist who notoriously harassed the families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims.
“Developed with the support of the Sandy Hook families, the new InfoWars is being reimagined as a comedy and cultural platform featuring original programming, guest talent, and new comedic voices,” a press release states. “The project reflects The Onion’s broader vision to build a modern, internet-native comedy ecosystem rooted in curation, creativity, and direct audience engagement.”
The company notes that the relaunch coincides with a $100,000 donation to the Sandy Hook families, raised through merchandise sales tied to the project. The press release calls this “the first of many” contributions. “The donation represents the first funds the families will receive as a direct result of the sale process surrounding InfoWars,” it adds. Jones was ordered in 2022 to pay $1.5 billion to the families after losing a defamation suit, stemming from his years-long claim that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax.
Comedian Tim Heidecker will lead the new InfoWars. Jones spent several episodes trying to undermine Heidecker as he was about to lose his show. The Onion has already teased its version of InfoWars in social media clips. One features the fictional newscaster Jim Haggerty, a recurring Onion character, returning as a conspiracy-brained podcaster. Haggerty previously hosted Today Now!, The Onion’s daily talk show, and Porkin’ Across America, a food travel show where he eventually turns into a pig.
Under the current proposed deal, The Onion would license the InfoWars brand from the court-appointed manager of the property. Heidecker told Wired that the site is “in limbo,” but The Onion is proceeding with the relaunch regardless.
“The story isn’t really about InfoWars anymore. It’s about what happens when you take a platform that was built around bullshit and fear and turn it into something that supports funny, human stuff instead,” Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion, said in an email. “At a moment when so much of media is shrinking, we’re investing in comedians, creators, and original programming because we think people want something better, made by people.”
InfoWars will premiere at 8 PM ET on July 2nd at theonion.info and across The Onion’s social media channels.
(Source: The Verge)