\n<\/p>\n
The Onion<\/em>\u2019s InfoWars <\/em>officially has a launch date: On July 2nd, the conspiracy network previously run by Alex Jones will return as a comedy and media platform. The reboot comes more than a year and a half after news broke that the satirical news site was working to acquire<\/a> the property owned by Jones, a conspiracy theorist who notably targeted victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cDeveloped with the support of the Sandy Hook families, the new InfoWars<\/em> is being reimagined as a comedy and cultural platform featuring original programming, guest talent, and new comedic voices,\u201d a press release reads. \u201cThe project reflects The Onion\u2019s broader vision to build a modern, internet-native comedy ecosystem rooted in curation, creativity, and direct audience engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The company says the relaunch coincides with a $100,000 donation to the Sandy Hook families that was raised through merch sales related to the project, and it says it will be \u201cthe first of many.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThe donation represents the first funds the families will receive as a direct result of the sale process surrounding InfoWars<\/em>,\u201d the press release reads. After losing a defamation suit, Jones was ordered in 2022 to pay $1.5 billion to the families of the Sandy Hook shooting, which he for years has called a hoax.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The new InfoWars <\/em>is led by comedian Tim Heidecker<\/a>, who Jones spent several episodes attempting to undermine<\/a> as he was about to lose his show. The Onion <\/em>has teased its version of InfoWars <\/em>in several social media clips: One<\/a> clip features a recurring Onion <\/em>character, the fictional newscaster Jim Haggerty, returning as a conspiracy-brained podcaster. Haggerty previously hosted Today Now!,<\/em> The Onion<\/em>\u2019s daily talkshow, and Porkin\u2019 Across America, <\/em>a food travel show in which \u2014 spoiler \u2014 Haggerty eventually turns into a pig.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Under the current proposed deal<\/a> for the takeover of InfoWars<\/em>, The Onion<\/em> would license the InfoWars <\/em>brand from the court-appointed manager of the property. Heidecker told<\/a> Wired <\/em>that the site is \u201cin limbo\u201d but that The Onion <\/em>is going ahead with the relaunch anyway.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThe story isn\u2019t really about InfoWars anymore. It\u2019s 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,\u201d Ben Collins, CEO of The Onion <\/em>said in an email. \u201cAt a moment when so much of media is shrinking, we\u2019re investing in comedians, creators, and original programming because we think people want something better, made by people.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n InfoWars <\/em>will premier at 8PM ET on the 2nd at theonion.info<\/a> and on The Onion<\/em>\u2019s social media channels.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Update June 18th:<\/strong> Added comment from Ben Collins.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n