Grab Your Tin Foil Hat for The Onion's Takeover of Infowars
4/24/202651 min
Earlier this month, Donald Trump posted an AI picture that seemed to depict him as Jesus Christ. On the week’s On the Media, why the image drew so much ire from Trump’s own followers. Plus, why The Onion, a satirical newspaper, is taking over the website of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
[01:00] Host Brooke Gladstone sits down with David Gilbert, reporter at WIRED covering disinformation and online extremism, to discuss the backlash among MAGA supporters to some of President Trump’s recent Truth Social posts, and how he is seeing more anger toward Trump in rightwing media spaces.
[15:49] Host Micah Loewinger speaks with Ben Collins, CEO of Global Tetrahedron–the parent company of the satirical newspaper The Onion–about the long saga of trying to buy right-wing conspiracist Alex Jones’ media empire, InfoWars. Then, Micah chats with Tom Heidecker, newly named creative director of InfoWars, about how he plans to turn the website and studio into a place for comedy.
[30:55] Micah talks with Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!, about “Steal This Story, Please!,” a new documentary about her forty-year career as an investigative journalist, radio host, and trailblazer of independent media. Plus, they discuss the often-blurred lines between activism and journalism, and why she prioritizes truth over access in her reporting.
Further reading / watching:
- “Staunch Trump Supporters Are Now Asking if He’s the Antichrist,” by Makena Kelly and David Gilbert
- “MAGA Is Starting to Look Beyond Trump,” by David Gilbert
- “At Long Last, InfoWars Is Ours,” by Bryce P. Tetraeder
- “Steal This Story, Please!” (documentary)
Hi On The Media listeners, we want to hear from you! Taking this podcast survey takes about 20 minutes and your feedback will help us make our podcast better! There are no wrong answers, just your honest take. Take the survey here (onthemedia.org/survey).
On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Bluesky, TikTok and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsBrooke Gladstone· Host0:00
President Trump posted an AI image of himself in a manner that finally offended some of his biggest boosters.
Speaker 10:07
Trump looking like Jesus healing some Jeffrey Epstein-looking dude sitting there on the bottom, it's blasphemy.
Brooke Gladstone· Host0:13
Trump's journey from the hand of God to the antichrist? From WNYC in New York, this is On the Media. I'm Brooke Gladstone.
Micah Loewinger· Host0:22
And I'm Micah Lohinger. Also on this week's show, the satirical newspaper The Onion is taking over Infowars and replacing the hate with comedy. Why?
Tim Heidecker· Guest0:32
People need to hear other people like me remind the world that this is insane, and try to do it in an entertaining way. Otherwise, people feel like they're going crazy and that they're alone.
Brooke Gladstone· Host0:44
Plus, Amy Goodman has been sounding the alarm on corporate media for 30 years.
Amy Goodman· Guest0:50
People were saying, you know, "Give us a break." But now they're saying, "Oh, please, yell louder. Yell louder."
Brooke Gladstone· Host0:55
It's all coming up after this.
Micah Loewinger· Host0:57
From WNYC in New York, this is On the Media. I'm Micah Lohinger.
Brooke Gladstone· Host1:04
And I'm Brooke Gladstone. On Easter Sunday of all days, among President Trump's usual flurry of posts on Truth Social, one definitely stood out.
Speaker 5· Soundbite1:13
If your children are watching, be warned, the president did not use polite language. Quote, "Open the [beep] strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in hell. Just watch."
Brooke Gladstone· Host1:26
Then a week later, with a vital assist from AI...
Speaker 6· Soundbite1:29
Donald