The Onion buys Infowars • Hacker News Board

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#21

Post by jacknews » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:32 PM UTC

I'm very much not a fan of Q-anon and related subcultures, but the sandy-hook award of $1.5 billion is obviously ridiculous, and is clearly just a government/institutional exercise in dictatorial/systemic power.

There is no possible way that someone ranting on the internet can cause 1.5 billion of emotional damage or whatever the claim was.

In particular, the libel (and it should be libel, making claims that are not true, rather than 'defamation' which is merely slurring them), should be from a credible source. Alex Jones is obviously not a credible source in this, or any case, and is unlikely to have caused any material harm (loss of jobs etc) to the 'victims'.

I mean, good riddance to Alex Jones, but the tools and methods used were entirely inappropriate to a liberal democracy, where you prevail with better arguments.

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#22

Post by neom » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:32 PM UTC

Jeff Lawson the founder of Twilio owns The Onion, glad he's growing his quality retirement project.

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#23

Post by dionian » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:33 PM UTC

dogleash wrote: post #14

Funny concept. Shame that The Onion's writing these days so mid.

Kids these days will never know how funny the onion used to be They used to distribute hard copies in big cities because people actually read it

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#24

Post by rightbyte » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:33 PM UTC

jsheard wrote: post #2

The announcement by America's Finest News Source: https://theonion.com/heres-why-i-decided-to-buy-infowars/ Alex Jones response: https://x.com/RealAlexJones/status/1857058831135645739

Seems like the article is really gleeful. Somewhat ironic since The Onion could be brought down in the same way by defamation lawsuits.

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#25

Post by krunck » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:35 PM UTC

https://archive.ph/pxmqX

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#26

Post by delichon » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:35 PM UTC

The current speculation by the right-o-sphere that Alex Jones is about to be appointed the Trump press secretary is apt for the moment where Trump seems to have made his nominations on the basis of how much they will disturb the left. It's hard to imagine anyone that could be more effective at achieving that than Jones.

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#27

Post by NotLongNow » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:35 PM UTC

jacknews wrote: post #21

I'm very much not a fan of Q-anon and related subcultures, but the sandy-hook award of $1.5 billion is obviously ridiculous, and is clearly just a government/institutional exercise in dictatorial/systemic power. There is no possible way that someone ranting on the internet can cause 1.5 billion of emotional damage or whatever the claim was. In particular, the libel (and it should be libel, making claims that are not…

[dead]

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#28

Post by ascendantlogic » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:35 PM UTC

dogleash wrote: post #14

Funny concept. Shame that The Onion's writing these days so mid.

I think the Onion is as good as it ever was. The issue now is that the real news is so wild and unhinged the Onion doesn't have that segment cornered anymore.

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#29

Post by fisherjeff » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:36 PM UTC

jacknews wrote: post #21

I'm very much not a fan of Q-anon and related subcultures, but the sandy-hook award of $1.5 billion is obviously ridiculous, and is clearly just a government/institutional exercise in dictatorial/systemic power. There is no possible way that someone ranting on the internet can cause 1.5 billion of emotional damage or whatever the claim was. In particular, the libel (and it should be libel, making claims that are not…

It was a civil case, so no government/prosecutor, and the jury awarded much more than plaintiffs asked for.

EDIT: Also you can disagree with the amount, but the award is literally the jury saying that the plaintiffs “prevailed with better arguments”

Re: The Onion buys Infowars

#30

Post by tuyiown » Thu, Nov 14, 2024, 2:37 PM UTC

aaomidi wrote: post #19

dogleash wrote: post #14

Funny concept. Shame that The Onion's writing these days so mid.

I think it’s more that the world is now the onion.

One option for the onion is to end being an entertaining opinion journal with very nuanced and layered (intended) points of view. They already are almost there, what place do they have where so many in the media are parodies of themselves ?