CNN is getting shredded for an upcoming special report on Alex Jones, the InfoWars host and conspiracy theorist extraordinaire, with Twitter users saying the far-right radio personality should not be given a platform under any circumstance.
The new special set to air Sunday titled “Megaphone for Conspiracy: The Alex Jones Story” promises to explore “how Jones’ message grew from the fringes into the mainstream, and why that could threaten the future of democracy in America,” the press release reads.
To do so, CNN has interviewed “people who knew him, worked for him, and believed him.” It will also examine the origins of the conspiracy theories Jones has propagated, as well as the lawsuit filed against him by the parents of the children killed in the Sandy Hook school shootings and the scrutiny he has received from the Congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks.
The special is being criticized across social media, including by multiple Democratic supporters on Twitter, most notably author and outspoken Donald Trump critic Don Winslow, who urged his followers not to watch the special.
“Don’t feed this monster. Don’t support hate. This is garbage attempting to normalize a man who stalked and harassed parents who saw their 6 and 7 year old children slaughtered,” Winslow tweeted.
Canadian radio host Shaye Ganam also thought doing a special on Jones was a “dumb idea,” and leveled particular criticism at how the special was promoted. “The promo asks ‘Could he be a threat to democracy?’ You’re asking that in 2022?” Gaman tweeted. “Or was this produced in 2010 and you’re just getting around to it now? Regardless we know the answer. Run a Bourdain rerun.”
