Ties Between Alex Jones And Radio Network Show Economics Of Misinformation

The Genesis Communications Network has built a lucrative business alongside the radio host, whose show has been syndicated by the company for more than two decades.

Ted Anderson, a precious metals dealer, hoped to find business for his gold and silver dealer when he started a radio network in a suburb of Minneapolis a few decades ago. Soon after, he signed a brash young radio host named Alex Jones.

Together they ended up shaping today's misinformation economy. hui.

The two built a lucrative operation out of a tangled system of niche advertisers, fundraisers and media subscription promotions, food supplements and survival products. Mr. Jones became a conspiracy theory heavyweight, while Mr. Anderson's company, Genesis Communications Network, flourished. Their plan to make money has been replicated by many other misinformation peddlers.

Mr. Jones eventually ditched his addiction to Genesis, as he expanded beyond radio and garnered a large following online. Yet they were again intertwined in lawsuits accusing them of fueling a false narrative about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

M . Jones was found liable by default in these cases. Last month, plaintiffs' attorneys dropped Genesis as a defendant. Christopher Mattei, one of the attorneys, said in a statement that Genesis' involvement in the lawsuit would have diverted attention from the primary target: Mr. Jones and his media organization.

The move has freed Genesis, which states on its website that it "has established itself as the largest independently owned and operated talk radio network in the country", from stiff penalties that await very probably Mr. Jones. But the cases, soon to go to juries to determine damages, continue to shed light on the economics that contribute to generating misleading and misleading claims in the media landscape.

The proliferation of lies and misleading content, particularly in the run-up to midterm elections this fall, is often blamed on a gullible public and growing partisan divide. Misinformation can also be hugely profitable, not just for bold names like Mr. Jones, but also for companies that host websites, run ads or syndicate content in the background.

"Disinformation exists for ideological reasons, but there is always a connection with very commercial interests - they always end up", said Hilde Van den Bulck, professor of media at the University Drexel who studied Mr. Jones. "It's a small world full of networks of people finding ways to help each other."

Mr. Jones and Mr. Anderson did not respond to requests for comment for this article.

Genesis originated in the late 1990s as a marketing ploy, operating "main in the hand". with Midas Resources, Mr. Anderson's bullion business, he said. He told media watchdog FAIR in 2011, "Midas Resources needs customers, Genesis Communications Network needs sponsors." the equation.

Genesis began organizing Mr. Jones around the time he was fired by an Austin station in 1999, the report said. host this year on Infowars, a website he operates. It was a complementary, if sometimes fractious, partnership - "a kind of marriage made in hell," Ms. Van den Bulck said.