Onion Snags Infowars (Seriously)

Plus: Zuck raps and Klarna IPOs

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)

• 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.