Happy Monday! This week, we reflect on the respectable absurdity that is The Onion buying Infowars amidst Alex Jones’ legal troubles. But first…
📡ON OUR RADAR
In the wake of the U.S. election, many are abandoning X, the social media platform owned by Trump ally Elon Musk. Alternative platforms like Bluesky gained over a million new users in just one week, while The Guardian announced it will no longer post on X.
Newsletter platform beehiiv is taking on Substack with a “multi-million dollar investment fund” designed to support journalists. They’re banking that they’ll be able to lure writers by offering health insurance and legal support.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made his musical debut, partnering with T-Pain on a rendition of the 2002 hit “Get Low” in a tribute to his wife – because nothing screams romance quite like the lyrical paragon “369, damn you’re fine.”
💡ON OUR MINDS: Onion Snags Infowars (Seriously)
Image: CBSNews
The Onion, a satirical outlet known for its witty and culturally relevant commentary, has taken its newest bit to the next level – purchasing Infowars.
Infowars is a far-right, conspiracy-driven news outlet founded by Alex Jones. Known for spreading misinformation, Infowars made headlines following the Sandy Hook Massacre in 2012.
Jones called the mass shooting a hoax, with actors playing the victims, all as a part of a government scheme to push for gun control – leading to harassment of victims’ families by Jones’ supporters.
Sandy Hook victims’ families chose to relinquish some of their proceeds in an effort to support The Onion’s bid, along with support from the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety.
The Onion sees this deal as an opportunity to stop the spread of dangerous misinformation and instead promote stories that communicate hope through humor.
🥊QUICK HITS:
In case you missed these reads:
Fintech company Klarna, known for its buy now, pay later motto, is going public.
Vanity Fair riffs on the phallic obsessions and feminist responses of the political moment.
Forget renderings and product photography—Amazon’s new third-party marketplace, Haul, is opting for AI-generated images for most of its product listings.
Thanks for reading,
HL
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This week’s newsletter is brought to you by celebrity lookalike contests run amok.