Sandy Hook families have supported a bid to acquire Alex Jones' Infowars, with plans of posting sponsored content and advertising advocating for gun control.
In the years following the Sandy Hook tragedy, Jones repeatedly spread conspiracy theories labeling the shooting a hoax. His claims led to lawsuits from the grieving families, who suffered harassment from Jones' fans.
After a court ordered Jones to pay more than $1 billion to the families, he filed for bankruptcy. Most recently, at a bankruptcy auction, The Onion, a satirical news site, placed the winning bid for Infowars, the New York Times reported.
The purchase, which was supported by the Sandy Hook families, includes the main Infowars website, social media accounts, and production studio.
Everytown for Gun Safety is said to be the site's initial sponsor, aiming to use it to counter misinformation and advocate for common-sense gun control with sponsored content that will appear next to satire articles.
"Today @TheOnion won its bid to acquire Infowars, the notorious harbinger of disinformation, misinformation, and hate speech helmed by its founder, professional Internet troll, Alex Jones. Alex Jones has profited off the pain of Sandy Hook families, and his brand of hateful disinformation has seeped into mainstream American culture," Everytown for Gun Safety wrote on X.
While The Onion plans to relaunch Infowars this year with new content, including using humor to spotlight gun violence issues, Jones has vowed to fight the acquisition in court.
Originally published by Latin Times
