The Misinformation of Alex Jones
In the wake of the unthinkable 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary that killed 20 children (between the ages of six and seven) and 6 adults, Alex Jones spread destructive lies about the massacre, and his platform, Infowars, became a source of rabid misinformation. This week, in response to Jones’ relentless campaign, a jury in Connecticut awarded almost $1 billion USD to 15 plaintiffs in their defamation case against Jones. While this case sets a strong precedent, the damage from Infowars still remains. How can we stop conspiracy theories from becoming wide-spread misinformation?