If it wasn’t so excruciatingly sad, the Alex Jones defamation lawsuit might have been cathartic.
Jones, a supplement-throwing conspiracy theorist, was ordered to pay more than $45 million in damages to Neil Heslin and Scarlett Lewis, parents of a six-year-old who was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting. rice field. The jury’s verdict came after Mr. Jones was found guilty of defaming Mr. Heslin and Mr. Lewis, whom Heslin and Mr. Lewis had been accused of, for years, a government-conspired “fake crime.” Falsely accusing him of being a critical actor in Operation Flag.
For victims of Mr. Jones’ harassment campaign and those who have followed his career for years, the verdict felt long overdue. Sandy Many of the families of the children killed by his hook have waited years for Mr. Jones to pay the price for his lies, but they must have been relieved.
But before we celebrate Mr. Jones’ resurrection, we should be aware that the verdict against him is unlikely to have much impact on the phenomenon he represents.
Jones’ megaphone has dwindled in recent years. That’s partly because tech platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have decided to ban Jones from their services. But his reach is still considerable and more influential than you might think.
court record Indicated Jones’ store, Infowars, which sells questionable performance-enhancing supplements and survival gear, grossed over $165 million between 2015 and 2018. popular podcasts When YouTube showsand millions of Americans still see him as at least a quaint distraction, if not a reliable chronicler of current events. , estimated the net worth of Jones and his holding company, Free Speech Systems, at $135 million to $270 million.)
In the coming weeks, Mr. Jones, the maestro of martyrdom, will undoubtedly turn his court defeat into hours of entertaining content, all of which will garner more attention, more subscribers and more. It will generate a lot of money.
But a bigger reason for caution is that Mr. Jones, whether he’s personally making a fortune with his lies or not, his practical antics are everywhere these days.
It often sounds like Republican politicians auditioning for slots at Infowars who want to see, hear, and gain attention for Mr. Jones’ impact on the Capitol. When Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green suggested the shooting may have been orchestrated to persuade Republicans to support gun control measures, Facebook post She plays hits from Jones’ past catalog about the 4th of July shooting in Highland Park, Illinois. Jones also played a role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. (The House panel investigating the riots asked for a copy Part of a text message mistakenly sent from Jones’ phone to an attorney representing the plaintiff in the defamation lawsuit.)
We can also see Jones’ influence on the right-wing media. When Tucker Carlson Stokes Chauvinist Fear On His Fox News Show Or Newsmax Host Spins weird conspiracy theory House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s attempt to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh is proof that Infowars’ DNA has entered the conservative bloodstream.
Outside of politics, Jones’ bored, wide-eyed style is influencing the way a new generation of conspiracy theorists seek fame online.
These creators don’t rant about everything goblin When gay frog, as Mr. Jones has. But they pull from the same fact-free playbook. Some of them focus on softer subjects. recently popular For suggesting that Lyme disease is a “gift” caused by intergalactic space matter, or, like Shane Dawson, “Chuck E. Cheese reuses leftover pizza.” “Wildfires are caused by directed energy weapons.”
Certain elements of left-wing and centrist discourse also owe Mr. Jones. The podcast “Red Scare,” popular with the dissident “post-left” crowd, I interviewed Mr. Jones We share some overlapping interests. Much of the unbridled reporting and analysis of the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard legal battle that swept social media this summer was Jones-esque. Even popular podcast host Joe Rogan (who hosted the Mr. Jones show, defended him “hilarious” and “funny”), I’ve borrowed some of the Infowars founder’s connecting-the-dots paranoia. claimingFor example, the Covid-19 vaccine could modify genes.
It would be too easy to blame (or credit) Jones for inspiring the entire modern world of cranks. But it’s safe to say that many of today’s leading conspiracy theorists find their spot in the same sweet-his-spot of lies and entertainment value profits. Also, we’re likely desensitized to conspiracy theories, and many of the outrageous lies that once got Mr. Jones in trouble – about Sandy Hook’s parents, who were at the center of his defamation lawsuit. Claims and such – would not sound so shocking if uttered today.
Other conspiracy theorists are less likely to go to trial than Jones. Instead of directly accusing the families of the shooting victims of being a hoax, they have taken a naïve “just ask questions” stance, puncturing the official account. When attacking an enemy, they tiptoe to the defamation line and are careful not to get sued or banned from social media. Also, choose your targets wisely when leading a harassment campaign. They often denigrate public figures rather than private individuals. This gives you broader speech protection under the First Amendment.
That’s not to say there aren’t more lawsuits and attempts to hold conspiracy theorists accountable. Fox News, for example, faces a defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems. This alleges that the network deliberately made false statements about voter fraud in his 2020 election.
However, these cases are the exception, not the rule. The truth is that today’s media ecosystem is rife with his Infowars-style conspiracy theories. From History Channel’s show about ancient aliens building Egyptian pyramids to his TikTok created by a thinking yoga mom. Wayfair sells trafficked children —and it’s not clear if our legal system can or even should try to stop them.
By making it harder for fabrists to reach large audiences, social media companies can limit the spread of harmful lies. But they have their own limitations, including the simple fact that conspiracy theorists are more sophisticated about getting around the rules. Cranks who want attention just get millions of views by assuming Bigfoot. Might be so Their audience would be wise to do their own research to understand what Bigfoot-related secrets the Deep State Cabal is hiding.
For this new, more nuanced generation of propagandists and reactionaries, Mr. Jones is an inspiration who has climbed to the highest peaks of the profession. But he’s also a cautionary tale — about what happens when you cross too many lines, tell too many easily rebuttable lies, and don’t back down.
Jones doesn’t stop at music. Two more lawsuits filed against him by Sandy Hook’s family are still pending and could leave him with millions more in damages.
But even if Mr. Jones’ career is ruined, the legacy of his brazen and unrepentant misconduct will live on.
