The Alex Jones Verdict and the Fight Against Disinformation

<p><i>This episode contains descriptions of distressing scenes. </i></p><p>In a landmark ruling, a jury in Texas ordered Alex Jones, America’s most prominent conspiracy theorist, to pay millions of dollars to the parents of a boy killed at Sandy Hook for the damage caused by his lies about the mass shooting.</p><p>What is the significance of the trial, and will it do anything to change the world of lies and misinformation?</p><p>Guest: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/elizabeth-williamson?smid=pc-thedaily">Elizabeth Williamson</a>, a feature writer based in the Washington bureau of The New York Times.</p><p>Background reading: </p><ul><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/alex-jones-trial.html?smid=pc-thedaily">What to know about the defamation case against Alex Jones</a>, the far-right conspiracy theorist who used his Infowars media company to spread lies about the Sandy Hook school shooting.</li><li>The parents of a child killed in the Sandy Hook shooting were awarded $45.2 million in punitive damages at the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/05/us/politics/alex-jones-verdict.html?smid=pc-thedaily">conclusion of the trial</a>. </li></ul><p>For more information on today’s episode, visit <a href="http://nytimes.com/thedaily?smid=pc-thedaily">nytimes.com/thedaily</a>. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. </p>