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Reverted to revision 624972584 by Gaba p (talk): Very well, back to consensus version then. (TW)
Undid revision 626895134 by Gaba p (talk)NO CONSENSUS FOR THIS - NEVER WAS ONE EITHER - WP:BLP applies here as a contentious claim in the lead
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|website=[http://infowars.com/ InfoWars.com]<br>[http://prisonplanet.tv/ PrisonPlanet.TV]
|website=[http://infowars.com/ InfoWars.com]<br>[http://prisonplanet.tv/ PrisonPlanet.TV]
}}
}}
'''Alexander Emerick "Alex" Jones''' (born February 11, 1974) is an American radio host, author, conspiracy theorist,<ref name="Byford2011">{{cite book|last=Byford|first=Jovan|title=Conspiracy Theories: A Critical Introduction|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=m5Er9ELOwQkC&pg=PA11|accessdate=23 November 2013|date=2011-10-12|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=9780230349216|page=11}}</ref><ref>[http://www.salon.com/2013/04/15/alex_jones_labels_boston_explosion_a_false_flag/ Alex Jones: Boston explosion a government conspiracy]</ref> and documentary filmmaker.<ref>[http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/glenn-becks-shtick-alex-jones-got-there-first-20110304 Rolling Stone]</ref> His [[Radio syndication|syndicated]] news/talk show ''[[The Alex Jones Show]]'', based in [[Austin, Texas]], airs via the [[Genesis Communications Network]] on 118 AM and FM radio stations<ref name="gcnlive.com">[http://www.gcnlive.com/programs/alexJones/affiliateList.pdf List of Alex Jones Radio Show Affiliated Stations].</ref> and WWCR Radio [[shortwave]] <ref>http://www.wwcr.com</ref> across the United States, and on the Internet. His websites include Infowars.com and PrisonPlanet.com.<ref>[http://nation.foxnews.com/view/2011/02/28/all-hell-breaks-loose-view-after-911-truther-cuts-loose Fox News]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tunein.com/radio/options/The-Alex-Jones-Show-p20008/|publisher=Tune In|title=The Alex Jones Show|deadurl=no|accessdate=January 13, 2013}}</ref>
'''Alexander Emerick "Alex" Jones''' (born February 11, 1974) is an American radio host, author and documentary filmmaker,<ref>[http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/glenn-becks-shtick-alex-jones-got-there-first-20110304 Rolling Stone]</ref> often described as a [[conspiracy theorist]].<!-- <ref name="Byford2011">{{cite book|last=Byford|first=Jovan|title=Conspiracy Theories: A Critical Introduction|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=m5Er9ELOwQkC&pg=PA11|accessdate=23 November 2013|date=2011-10-12|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|isbn=9780230349216|page=11}}</ref><ref>[http://www.salon.com/2013/04/15/alex_jones_labels_boston_explosion_a_false_flag/ Alex Jones: Boston explosion a government conspiracy]</ref> --> His [[Radio syndication|syndicated]] news/talk show ''[[The Alex Jones Show]]'', based in [[Austin, Texas]], airs via the [[Genesis Communications Network]] on 118 AM and FM radio stations<ref name="gcnlive.com">[http://www.gcnlive.com/programs/alexJones/affiliateList.pdf List of Alex Jones Radio Show Affiliated Stations].</ref> and WWCR Radio [[shortwave]] <ref>http://www.wwcr.com</ref> across the United States, and on the Internet. His websites include Infowars.com and PrisonPlanet.com.<ref>[http://nation.foxnews.com/view/2011/02/28/all-hell-breaks-loose-view-after-911-truther-cuts-loose Fox News]</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://tunein.com/radio/options/The-Alex-Jones-Show-p20008/|publisher=Tune In|title=The Alex Jones Show|deadurl=no|accessdate=January 13, 2013}}</ref>


Jones has been the center of many controversies, including his controversial statements about [[gun control]] in the wake of the [[Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting]].<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2013/jan/08/alex-jones-pro-gun-tirade-piers-morgan-video|title=Alex Jones' pro-gun tirade at Piers Morgan on British presenter's own show|work=The Guardian|accessdate=January 10, 2013|location=London|date=January 8, 2013}}</ref>
Jones has been the center of many controversies, including his controversial statements about [[gun control]] in the wake of the [[Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting]].<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/video/2013/jan/08/alex-jones-pro-gun-tirade-piers-morgan-video|title=Alex Jones' pro-gun tirade at Piers Morgan on British presenter's own show|work=The Guardian|accessdate=January 10, 2013|location=London|date=January 8, 2013}}</ref>
He has accused the U.S. government of being involved in the [[Oklahoma City bombing]],<ref name="MeetAJ"/> the [[September 11 attacks]]<ref name="Stahl">{{cite journal|last=Stahl|first=Jeremy|authorlink=Jeremy Stahl|journal=Slate|title=Where Did 9/11 Conspiracies Come From?|date=September 6, 2011|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2302830/|accessdate=September 11, 2011}}</ref> and the filming of [[Moon landing conspiracy theories|fake Moon landings]] to hide [[NASA]]'s secret technology.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/29/dear-moon-landing-deniers-sorry-i-called-you-moon-landing-deniers.html | title=Dear Moon Landing Deniers: Sorry I Called You Moon Landing Deniers | publisher=The Daily Beast | accessdate=27 August 2014 | author=Nuzzi, Olivia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ibtimes.com/alex-jones-blows-bbc-sunday-politics-bilderberg-group-follow-if-my-enemies-murder-me-it-makes-me | title=Alex Jones Blows Up On BBC Sunday Politics For Bilderberg Group Follow-Up: If My Enemies Murder Me, It Makes Me A Martyr | publisher=International Business Times | date=June 9, 2013 | accessdate=31 August 2014 | author=Zara, Christopher}}</ref>
He has accused the U.S. government of being involved in the [[Oklahoma City bombing]],<ref name="MeetAJ"/> the [[September 11 attacks]]<ref name="Stahl">{{cite journal|last=Stahl|first=Jeremy|authorlink=Jeremy Stahl|journal=Slate|title=Where Did 9/11 Conspiracies Come From?|date=September 6, 2011|url=http://www.slate.com/id/2302830/|accessdate=September 11, 2011}}</ref> and the filming of [[Moon landing conspiracy theories|fake Moon landings]] to hide [[NASA]]'s secret technology.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/07/29/dear-moon-landing-deniers-sorry-i-called-you-moon-landing-deniers.html | title=Dear Moon Landing Deniers: Sorry I Called You Moon Landing Deniers | publisher=The Daily Beast | accessdate=27 August 2014 | author=Nuzzi, Olivia}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ibtimes.com/alex-jones-blows-bbc-sunday-politics-bilderberg-group-follow-if-my-enemies-murder-me-it-makes-me | title=Alex Jones Blows Up On BBC Sunday Politics For Bilderberg Group Follow-Up: If My Enemies Murder Me, It Makes Me A Martyr | publisher=International Business Times | date=June 9, 2013 | accessdate=31 August 2014 | author=Zara, Christopher}}</ref>
He believes that government and big business have colluded to create a [[New World Order (conspiracy theory)|New World Order]] through "manufactured economic crises, sophisticated surveillance tech and—above all—inside-job terror attacks that fuel exploitable hysteria".<ref name="RollingStonePage2">{{cite news|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/talk-radios-alex-jones-the-most-paranoid-man-in-america-20110302?page=2|title=Meet Alex Jones|author=Alexander Zaitchik|date=March 2, 2011|work=[[Rolling Stone]]|accessdate=February 24, 2013}}</ref> Jones describes himself as a [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] and a [[paleoconservative]].
He believes that government and big business have colluded to create a [[New World Order (conspiracy theory)|New World Order]] through "manufactured economic crises, sophisticated surveillance tech and—above all—inside-job terror attacks that fuel exploitable hysteria".<ref name="RollingStonePage2">{{cite news|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/talk-radios-alex-jones-the-most-paranoid-man-in-america-20110302?page=2|title=Meet Alex Jones|author=Alexander Zaitchik|date=March 2, 2011|work=[[Rolling Stone]]|accessdate=February 24, 2013}}</ref> Jones describes himself as a [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] and a [[paleoconservative]].

⚫
''[[New York Magazine]]'' described Jones as “America’s leading conspiracy theorist”,<ref name=NYMAG.Interview>{{cite web|last1=Ciscarelli|first1=Joe|title=An Interview With Alex Jones, America’s Leading (and Proudest) Conspiracy Theorist|url=http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/11/alex-jones-americas-top-conspiracy-theorist.html|accessdate=8 September 2014}}</ref> and the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] describes him as "the most prolific conspiracy theorist in contemporary America."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/profiles/alex-jones|title=Alex Jones Profile|publisher=Southern Poverty Law Center}}</ref> About being labeled a "conspiracy theorist", Jones has stated that he finds himself "proud to be listed as a thought criminal against Big Brother."<ref name=NYMAG.Interview/>


==Early life==
==Early life==
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According to [[Texas Monthly]] editor [[Nate Blakeslee]] the show had a listenership of 2 million per week in 2010.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/alex-jones-about-explode | title=Alex Jones Is About To Explode | publisher=Texas Monthly | date=March 2010 | accessdate=29 August 2014 | author=Blakeslee, Nate}}</ref>
According to [[Texas Monthly]] editor [[Nate Blakeslee]] the show had a listenership of 2 million per week in 2010.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.texasmonthly.com/story/alex-jones-about-explode | title=Alex Jones Is About To Explode | publisher=Texas Monthly | date=March 2010 | accessdate=29 August 2014 | author=Blakeslee, Nate}}</ref>
According to journalist [[Will Bunch]], a senior fellow at [[Media Matters for America]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.commondreams.org/author/will-bunch | title=Will Bunch | publisher=CommonDreams | accessdate=29 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/will-bunch/ | title=Will Bunch | publisher=The Huffington Post | accessdate=29 August 2014}}</ref> the show has a demographic heavier in younger viewers than other conservative pundits due to Jones' "highly conspiratorial tone and Web-oriented approach". Bunch has also stated that "there was always a cast of bottom-feeders like cult radio personality Alex Jones to feed on the deepest paranoia."<ref name="Bunch2011">{{cite book|last=Bunch|first=Will|title=The Backlash: Right-Wing Radicals, High-Def Hucksters, and Paranoid Politics in the Age of Obama|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=4cEAb7Pv-a0C&pg=PA73|accessdate=January 10, 2013|date=2011-09-13|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=9780061991721|pages=73–}}</ref> According to Alexander Zaitchik of [[Rolling Stone Magazine]], in 2011 he had a larger on-line audience than [[Glenn Beck]] and Rush Limbaugh combined.<ref name="RollingStone">{{cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/talk-radios-alex-jones-the-most-paranoid-man-in-america-20110302#ixzz27xKeI02Z|title=Meet Alex Jones|last=ALEXANDER ZAITCHIK|date=March 2, 2011|work=[[Rolling Stone]]|accessdate=January 10, 2013}}</ref>
According to journalist [[Will Bunch]], a senior fellow at [[Media Matters for America]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.commondreams.org/author/will-bunch | title=Will Bunch | publisher=CommonDreams | accessdate=29 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/will-bunch/ | title=Will Bunch | publisher=The Huffington Post | accessdate=29 August 2014}}</ref> the show has a demographic heavier in younger viewers than other conservative pundits due to Jones's "highly conspiratorial tone and Web-oriented approach". Bunch has also stated that "there was always a cast of bottom-feeders like cult radio personality Alex Jones to feed on the deepest paranoia."<ref name="Bunch2011">{{cite book|last=Bunch|first=Will|title=The Backlash: Right-Wing Radicals, High-Def Hucksters, and Paranoid Politics in the Age of Obama|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=4cEAb7Pv-a0C&pg=PA73|accessdate=January 10, 2013|date=2011-09-13|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=9780061991721|pages=73–}}</ref> According to Alexander Zaitchik of [[Rolling Stone Magazine]], in 2011 he had a larger on-line audience than [[Glenn Beck]] and Rush Limbaugh combined.<ref name="RollingStone">{{cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/talk-radios-alex-jones-the-most-paranoid-man-in-america-20110302#ixzz27xKeI02Z|title=Meet Alex Jones|last=ALEXANDER ZAITCHIK|date=March 2, 2011|work=[[Rolling Stone]]|accessdate=January 10, 2013}}</ref>


Jones is the operator of several websites centered on news and information about civil liberties issues, global government and a wide variety of current events topics.{{cn|date=September 2014}}
Jones is the operator of several websites centered on news and information about civil liberties issues, global government and a wide variety of current events topics.{{cn|date=September 2014}}
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In January 2013, Jones was invited to speak on [[Piers Morgan]]'s show after promoting an online petition to deport Morgan due to his support of gun control laws.<ref name="CSM">{{cite news|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/Vox-News/2013/0109/Piers-Morgan-vs.-Alex-Jones-feud-helping-or-hurting-gun-control-video|title=Piers Morgan vs. Alex Jones feud: helping or hurting gun control? (+video)|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|accessdate=January 10, 2013}}</ref> The interview turned into "a one-person shoutfest, as Jones riffed about guns, oppressive government, the flag, his ancestors' role in Texan independence, and what flag Morgan would have on his tights if they wrestled".<ref name="CSM"/> The event drew widespread coverage,<ref name="CSM"/> and according to ''[[The Huffington Post]]'', Morgan and others such as [[Glenn Beck]] "agreed that Jones was a terrible spokesman for gun rights".<ref name="HuffPost">{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/09/piers-morgan-alex-jones-gun-control_n_2438963.html|title=Piers Morgan: Alex Jones 'Terrifying', A Perfect 'Advertisement For Gun Control'|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|accessdate=January 9, 2013|first=Jack|last=Mirkinson|date=January 9, 2013}}</ref> Jones's appearance on the show was a top trending Twitter topic the following morning.<ref name="CNNsocialmedia">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/us/piers-morgan-guns-debate/index.html|title=Social media abuzz over Piers Morgan vs. Alex Jones|work=[[CNN]]|accessdate=January 10, 2013}}</ref>
In January 2013, Jones was invited to speak on [[Piers Morgan]]'s show after promoting an online petition to deport Morgan due to his support of gun control laws.<ref name="CSM">{{cite news|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/Vox-News/2013/0109/Piers-Morgan-vs.-Alex-Jones-feud-helping-or-hurting-gun-control-video|title=Piers Morgan vs. Alex Jones feud: helping or hurting gun control? (+video)|work=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|accessdate=January 10, 2013}}</ref> The interview turned into "a one-person shoutfest, as Jones riffed about guns, oppressive government, the flag, his ancestors' role in Texan independence, and what flag Morgan would have on his tights if they wrestled".<ref name="CSM"/> The event drew widespread coverage,<ref name="CSM"/> and according to ''[[The Huffington Post]]'', Morgan and others such as [[Glenn Beck]] "agreed that Jones was a terrible spokesman for gun rights".<ref name="HuffPost">{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/09/piers-morgan-alex-jones-gun-control_n_2438963.html|title=Piers Morgan: Alex Jones 'Terrifying', A Perfect 'Advertisement For Gun Control'|work=[[The Huffington Post]]|accessdate=January 9, 2013|first=Jack|last=Mirkinson|date=January 9, 2013}}</ref> Jones's appearance on the show was a top trending Twitter topic the following morning.<ref name="CNNsocialmedia">{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/07/us/piers-morgan-guns-debate/index.html|title=Social media abuzz over Piers Morgan vs. Alex Jones|work=[[CNN]]|accessdate=January 10, 2013}}</ref>


On June 9, 2013, Jones appeared as a guest on the [[BBC]]'s television show ''[[Sunday Politics]]''. After a discussion about conspiracy theories surrounding the [[Bilderberg Group]] meetings with presenter [[Andrew Neil]] and journalist [[David Aaronovitch]], a critic of such theories, which was dominated by Jones's shouting and regular interruptions, Andrew Neil ended the item, describing Jones as "an idiot"<ref name="Dixon">{{cite news|last=Dixon|first=Hayley|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10108702/Idiot-Bilderberg-conspiracy-theorist-Alex-Jones-disrupts-BBC-politics-show.html|title='Idiot' Bilderberg conspiracy theorist Alex Jones disrupts BBC politics show|work=telegraph.co.uk|date=June 9, 2013|accessdate=June 9, 2013|location=London}}</ref> and "the worst person I've ever interviewed".<ref name="Topping">{{cite news|last=Topping|first=Alexandra|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jun/09/andrew-neil-alex-jones-sunday-politics|title=Andrew Neil calls Alex Jones an idiot in Sunday Politics clash|work=guardian.co.uk|date=June 9, 2013|accessdate=June 9, 2013|location=London}}</ref><ref name=Taylor>{{cite web |title=Conspiracy Theorist Alex Jones Goes Berserk During BBC Show |author=Taylor, Adam |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/alex-jones-goes-beserk-during-bbc-show-2013-6 |newspaper=[[Business Insider]] |date=9 June 2013 |accessdate=9 June 2013}}</ref> Jones was still shouting, according to Neil on Twitter, until he knew he was off-air.<ref name="Dixon"/><ref name="Topping"/>
On June 9, 2013, Jones appeared as a guest on the [[BBC]]'s television show ''[[Sunday Politics]]''. After a discussion about conspiracy theories surrounding the [[Bilderberg Group]] meetings with presenter [[Andrew Neil]] and journalist [[David Aaronovitch]], a critic of such theories, which was dominated by Jones's shouting and regular interruptions, Andrew Neil ended the item, describing Jones as "an idiot"<ref name="Dixon">{{cite news|last=Dixon|first=Hayley|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10108702/Idiot-Bilderberg-conspiracy-theorist-Alex-Jones-disrupts-BBC-politics-show.html|title='Idiot' Bilderberg conspiracy theorist Alex Jones disrupts BBC politics show|work=telegraph.co.uk|date=June 9, 2013|accessdate=June 9, 2013|location=London}}</ref> and "the worst person I've ever interviewed".<ref name="Topping">{{cite news|last=Topping|first=Alexandra|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jun/09/andrew-neil-alex-jones-sunday-politics|title=Andrew Neil calls Alex Jones an idiot in Sunday Politics clash|work=guardian.co.uk|date=June 9, 2013|accessdate=June 9, 2013|location=London}}</ref><ref name=Taylor>{{cite web |title=Conspiracy Theorist Alex Jones Goes Berserk During BBC Show |author=Taylor, Adam |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/alex-jones-goes-beserk-during-bbc-show-2013-6 |newspaper=[[Business Insider]] |date=9 June 2013 |accessdate=9 June 2013}}</ref> According to Neil on Twitter, Jones's yelling was "an act"<ref name="Dixon"/> that ended when he knew he was off-air;<ref name="Topping"/> Jones maintained that his vigor was sincere.<ref name="Dixon"/>

⚫
''[[New York Magazine]]'' described Jones as “America’s leading conspiracy theorist”,<ref name=NYMAG.Interview>{{cite web|last1=Ciscarelli|first1=Joe|title=An Interview With Alex Jones, America’s Leading (and Proudest) Conspiracy Theorist|url=http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/11/alex-jones-americas-top-conspiracy-theorist.html|accessdate=8 September 2014}}</ref> and the [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] describes him as "the most prolific conspiracy theorist in contemporary America."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/profiles/alex-jones|title=Alex Jones Profile|publisher=Southern Poverty Law Center}}</ref> About being labeled a "conspiracy theorist", Jones has stated that he finds himself "proud to be listed as a thought criminal against Big Brother."<ref name=NYMAG.Interview/>


==Films==
==Films==
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==External links==
==External links==
{{Sister project links|wikt=no|commons=Alex Jones|b=no|n=no|q=no|s=no|v=no|species=no|voy=no|display=Alex Jones}}
{{Sister project links|wikt=no|commons=Alex Jones|b=no|n=no|q=yes|s=no|v=no|species=no|voy=no|display=Alex Jones}}
* {{IMDb name|1093953|Alex Jones}}
* {{IMDb name|1093953|Alex Jones}}
* {{youtube user|TheAlexJonesChannel|Alex Jones}}
* {{youtube user|TheAlexJonesChannel|Alex Jones}}

Revision as of 16:49, 24 September 2014

For other people named Alex Jones, see Alex Jones (disambiguation).
Alex Jones
Jones, circa 2009
Born
Alexander Emerick Jones

(1974-02-11) February 11, 1974 (age 50)
Dallas, Texas, United States
Occupation(s)Radio host, film producer
Known forVarious conspiracy theories such as 9/11 Truth and New World Order theories;
WebsiteInfoWars.com
PrisonPlanet.TV

Alexander Emerick "Alex" Jones (born February 11, 1974) is an American radio host, author and documentary filmmaker,[1] often described as a conspiracy theorist. His syndicated news/talk show The Alex Jones Show, based in Austin, Texas, airs via the Genesis Communications Network on 118 AM and FM radio stations[2] and WWCR Radio shortwave [3] across the United States, and on the Internet. His websites include Infowars.com and PrisonPlanet.com.[4][5]

Jones has been the center of many controversies, including his controversial statements about gun control in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.[6] He has accused the U.S. government of being involved in the Oklahoma City bombing,[7] the September 11 attacks[8] and the filming of fake Moon landings to hide NASA's secret technology.[9][10] He believes that government and big business have colluded to create a New World Order through "manufactured economic crises, sophisticated surveillance tech and—above all—inside-job terror attacks that fuel exploitable hysteria".[11] Jones describes himself as a libertarian and a paleoconservative.

Early life

Jones was born on February 11, 1974 in Dallas, Texas,[12] and grew up in the suburb of Rockwall and Austin, Texas. His father is a dentist and his mother a homemaker.[7] In one of his video podcasts, he reports that he is of German, Welsh, mostly[13] British, and partially Native American descent.[13] He was a lineman on his high school's football team and graduated from Anderson High School in Austin, Texas in 1993.[7] As a teenager, he read Gary Allen's None Dare Call It Conspiracy, which strongly impacted him, and which he calls "the easiest-to-read primer on The New World Order".[14] After high school, Jones attended Austin Community College.[15]

Career

He began his career in Austin with a live, call-in format public-access television cable TV program. [citation needed] In 1996, Jones switched format to KJFK, hosting a show named The Final Edition.[16] During this time Ron Paul was running for congress and was a guest on Jones's show several times.[17] The two share many beliefs and have been friends since then.[17] In his early shows, he frequently talked about his belief that the U.S. government was behind the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995,[18] using the incident to put down a growing "states rights movement".[19] In 1998, he released his first film, America Destroyed By Design.

In 1998, Jones organized a successful effort to build a new Branch Davidian church, as a memorial to those who died during the 1993 fire that ended the government's siege of the original Branch Davidian complex near Waco, Texas.[20] He often featured the project on his public-access television program and claimed that David Koresh and his followers were peaceful people who were murdered by Attorney General Janet Reno and the ATF during the siege.[16]

In 1999, he tied with Shannon Burke for that year's "Best Austin Talk Radio Host" poll as voted by The Austin Chronicle readers.[21] Later that year, he was fired from KJFK-FM for refusing to broaden his topics, his viewpoints making the show hard to sell to advertisers, according to the station's operations manager.[16] Jones stated: "It was purely political, and it came down from on high ... I was told 11 weeks ago to lay off Clinton, to lay off all these politicians, to not talk about rebuilding the church, to stop bashing the Marines, A to Z".[16] He began spreading his show via internet connection from his home.[18]

In early 2000, Jones was one of seven Republican candidates for state representative in Texas House District 48, an open seat swing district based in Austin, Texas. Jones stated that he was running "to be a watchdog on the inside",[22] but withdrew from the race after a couple of weeks.

In July, a group of Austin Community Access Center (ACAC) programmers claimed that Jones used legal proceedings and ACAC policy to intimidate them or get their shows thrown off the air.[23]

In 2001, his show was syndicated on approximately 100 stations.[18] After the 9/11 terrorist attack, Jones began to speak of a conspiracy by the Bush administration as being behind the attack, which caused a number of the stations that had previously carried him to drop his program, according to Will Bunch.[24]

On June 8, 2006, while on his way to cover a meeting of the Bilderberg group in Ottawa, Canada, Jones was stopped and detained at the Ottawa airport by Canadian authorities who confiscated his passport, camera equipment and most of his belongings. He was later allowed to enter Canada lawfully. Jones said regarding the reason for his immigration hold: "I want to say, on the record, it takes two to tango. I could have handled it better."[25]

On September 8, 2007, he was arrested while protesting at 6th Avenue and 48th Street in New York City. He was charged with operating a bullhorn without a permit. Two others were also cited for disorderly conduct when his group crashed a live television show featuring Geraldo Rivera. In an article one of Jones's fellow protesters said, "It was ... guerrilla information warfare."[26]

Media

Main article: The Alex Jones Show

The Alex Jones Show syndicated radio program is broadcast nationally by the Genesis Communications Network to more than ninety AM and FM radio stations in the United States,[2] and to WWCR Radio shortwave.[citation needed] Live broadcast times are weekdays from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. CST and Sundays from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. CST. The Sunday broadcast is also broadcast by Emmis Communications' KLBJ Radio.

According to Texas Monthly editor Nate Blakeslee the show had a listenership of 2 million per week in 2010.[27]

According to journalist Will Bunch, a senior fellow at Media Matters for America,[28][29] the show has a demographic heavier in younger viewers than other conservative pundits due to Jones's "highly conspiratorial tone and Web-oriented approach". Bunch has also stated that "there was always a cast of bottom-feeders like cult radio personality Alex Jones to feed on the deepest paranoia."[24] According to Alexander Zaitchik of Rolling Stone Magazine, in 2011 he had a larger on-line audience than Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh combined.[30]

Jones is the operator of several websites centered on news and information about civil liberties issues, global government and a wide variety of current events topics.[citation needed]

Views on climate change

Jones denies the existence of human-induced climate change, describing the underlying science as deceitful and merely a means for global governance and global redistribution of wealth.[31]

Reception and impact

Jones during a 9/11 Truth Movement event on September 11, 2007, in Manhattan

Mainstream sources have described Jones as a conservative,[32][33][34][35] a right-wing conspiracy theorist,[36][37][38][39] and a libertarian.[40] Jones sees himself as a libertarian and rejects being described as a right-winger.[41] He has also called himself a paleoconservative[42] and an "aggressive constitutionalist".[43][44]

Jones has been the center of many controversies, such as the controversy surrounding his actions and statements about gun control after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.[6] He has accused the U.S. government of being involved in the Oklahoma City bombing[7] and the September 11 attacks.[8] Jones was in a "media crossfire" in 2011, which included criticism by Rush Limbaugh, when the news spread that Jared Lee Loughner, perpetrator of the 2011 Tucson shooting, had been "a fan" of the 9/11 conspiracy film Loose Change, of which Jones had been an executive producer.[30]

In January 2013, Jones was invited to speak on Piers Morgan's show after promoting an online petition to deport Morgan due to his support of gun control laws.[45] The interview turned into "a one-person shoutfest, as Jones riffed about guns, oppressive government, the flag, his ancestors' role in Texan independence, and what flag Morgan would have on his tights if they wrestled".[45] The event drew widespread coverage,[45] and according to The Huffington Post, Morgan and others such as Glenn Beck "agreed that Jones was a terrible spokesman for gun rights".[46] Jones's appearance on the show was a top trending Twitter topic the following morning.[47]

On June 9, 2013, Jones appeared as a guest on the BBC's television show Sunday Politics. After a discussion about conspiracy theories surrounding the Bilderberg Group meetings with presenter Andrew Neil and journalist David Aaronovitch, a critic of such theories, which was dominated by Jones's shouting and regular interruptions, Andrew Neil ended the item, describing Jones as "an idiot"[48] and "the worst person I've ever interviewed".[49][50] According to Neil on Twitter, Jones's yelling was "an act"[48] that ended when he knew he was off-air;[49] Jones maintained that his vigor was sincere.[48]

New York Magazine described Jones as “America’s leading conspiracy theorist”,[51] and the Southern Poverty Law Center describes him as "the most prolific conspiracy theorist in contemporary America."[52] About being labeled a "conspiracy theorist", Jones has stated that he finds himself "proud to be listed as a thought criminal against Big Brother."[51]

Films

Alex Jones and fans at the Première of A Scanner Darkly, a film by Richard Linklater, in which Jones has a cameo.[18]
Year Film Notes
1998 America: Destroyed by Design
1999 Police State 2000
1999 Are You Practicing Communism? Produced by Mike Hanson
2000 America Wake Up or Waco
2000 The Best of Alex Jones
2000 Dark Secrets Inside Bohemian Grove
2000 Police State II: The Takeover
2001 Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports: Exposed
2001 911 The Road to Tyranny: Special Emergency Release
2002 911 The Road to Tyranny
2002 The Masters of Terror: Exposed
2003 Matrix of Evil
2003 Police State 3: Total Enslavement
2004 American Dictators: Documenting the Staged Election of 2004
2005 Martial Law 9-11: Rise of the Police State
2005 The Order of Death
2006 TerrorStorm: A History of Government-Sponsored Terrorism
2007 Endgame: Blueprint for Global Enslavement
2007 Endgame 1.5
2007 TerrorStorm: A History of Government-Sponsored Terrorism - Second Edition
2007 Loose Change: Final Cut by Dylan Avery Executive producer
2008 The 9/11 Chronicles: Part 1, Truth Rising
2008 Fabled Enemies by Jason Bermas Producer
2009 DVD Arsenal: The Alex Jones Show Vols. 1–3
2009 The Obama Deception: The Mask Comes Off
2009 Fall of the Republic: Vol. 1, The Presidency of Barack H. Obama
2009 Reflections and Warnings: An Interview with Aaron Russo
2010 Police State IV: The Rise Of FEMA
2010 Invisible Empire: A New World Order Defined by Jason Bermas Producer
2012 New World Order: Blueprint of Madmen

Author

Year Book Publisher
2002 9-11: Descent Into Tyranny Progressive Press
2008 The Answer to 1984 Is 1776 The Disinformation Company

Film subject

Year Film Notes
2003 Aftermath: Unanswered Questions from 9/11 by Stephen Marshall
2009 New World Order by Luke Meyer and Andrew Neel
2010 The Fall of America and the Western World by Brian Kraft

Acting

Year Film Role
2001 Waking Life Man in Car with P.A. (cameo)
2006 A Scanner Darkly Street Prophet (cameo)

See also

References

  1. ^ Rolling Stone
  2. ^ a b List of Alex Jones Radio Show Affiliated Stations.
  3. ^ http://www.wwcr.com
  4. ^ Fox News
  5. ^ "The Alex Jones Show". Tune In. Retrieved January 13, 2013. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ a b "Alex Jones' pro-gun tirade at Piers Morgan on British presenter's own show". The Guardian. London. January 8, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d Zaitchik, Alexander (2011-03-02). "Meet Alex Jones, the Talk Radio Host Behind Charlie Sheen's Crazy Rants". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 29, 2011. Retrieved 2011-03-24. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ a b Stahl, Jeremy (September 6, 2011). "Where Did 9/11 Conspiracies Come From?". Slate. Retrieved September 11, 2011. Cite error: The named reference "Stahl" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  9. ^ Nuzzi, Olivia. "Dear Moon Landing Deniers: Sorry I Called You Moon Landing Deniers". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  10. ^ Zara, Christopher (June 9, 2013). "Alex Jones Blows Up On BBC Sunday Politics For Bilderberg Group Follow-Up: If My Enemies Murder Me, It Makes Me A Martyr". International Business Times. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
  11. ^ Alexander Zaitchik (March 2, 2011). "Meet Alex Jones". Rolling Stone. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
  12. ^ Jones, Alex. Coast to Coast AM. January 27, 2007.
  13. ^ a b Alex Jones Puts Anti-Semitic Caller in His Place!! (2011-03-04). Alex Jones Channel/Prisonplanet.tv/Genesis Communications Network. Retrieved April 06, 2014.
  14. ^ "Meet Alex Jones". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  15. ^ Howard Stern Radio Show, February 26, 2013.
  16. ^ a b c d Nichols, Lee (December 10, 1999). "Psst, It's a Conspiracy: KJFK Gives Alex Jones the Boot Media Clips". The Austin Chronicle.
  17. ^ a b "How Radio Host Alex Jones Has Cornered the Bipartisan Paranoia Market". New York. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
  18. ^ a b c d "Meet Alex Jones". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  19. ^ Kay, Jonathan (2011-05-17). Among the Truthers: A Journey Through America's Growing Conspiracist Underground. HarperCollins. pp. 26–. ISBN 9780062004819. Retrieved January 11, 2013.
  20. ^ Connie Mabin (April 19, 2000). "Branch Davidians hope a new church can close wounds". The Independent. UK. Associated Press. Retrieved January 29, 2011.
  21. ^ "Best of Austin 1999 Readers Poll". 1999. Retrieved 2007-08-14.
  22. ^ Scott S. Greenberger (January 4, 2000). "Nine to seek Greenberg's House seat" (fee required). Austin American-Statesman. p. B1.
  23. ^ Nichols, Lee (2000-07-14). "Alex Jones: Conspiracy Victim or Evil Mastermind?". Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on 2012-01-02. Retrieved 2008-05-20. Alex Jones is no stranger to conspiracy theories.
  24. ^ a b Bunch, Will (2011-09-13). The Backlash: Right-Wing Radicals, High-Def Hucksters, and Paranoid Politics in the Age of Obama. HarperCollins. pp. 73–. ISBN 9780061991721. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  25. ^ Payton, Laura (2006-06-08). "Bilderberg-bound filmmaker held at airport". The Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
  26. ^ Grace, Melissa; Xana O'Neill (2007-09-09). "Filmmaker arrested during city protest". Daily News (New York). Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-10. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  27. ^ Blakeslee, Nate (March 2010). "Alex Jones Is About To Explode". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  28. ^ "Will Bunch". CommonDreams. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  29. ^ "Will Bunch". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  30. ^ a b ALEXANDER ZAITCHIK (March 2, 2011). "Meet Alex Jones". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  31. ^ Alex Jones on Climategate, RT, 24 November 2009.
  32. ^ "BART Officer Threats". cbs5.com. Retrieved 2010-12-13.[dead link]
  33. ^ An article in the San Jose Mercury News describes Alex Jones as a "conservative radio talk show host".
  34. ^ Two articles in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from March and April 2009 describe Jones as a "conservative radio commentator"
  35. ^ Norman, Tony (2009-08-14). "A nutty way of discussing health care". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  36. ^ Gosa, Travis L. (2011). "Counterknowledge, racial paranoia, and the cultic milieu: Decoding hip hop conspiracy theory". Poetics. 39 (3): 187. doi:10.1016/j.poetic.2011.03.003. Retrieved 2011-07-11.
  37. ^ Black, Louis (2000-07-14). "Unknown Title". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-05-20. Jones is an articulate, sometimes hypnotic, often just annoying conspiracy theorist.
  38. ^ Duggan, Paul (2001-10-26). "Austin Hears the Music And Another New Reality; In Texas Cultural Center, People Prepare to Fight Terror" (Fee required). Washington Post. p. A22. Retrieved 2008-05-20. [His cable show] has made the exuberant, 27-year-old conspiracy theorist a minor celebrity in Austin.
  39. ^ "Conspiracy Files: 9/11 - Q&A: What really happened" (FAQ). BBC News. 2007-02-16. Retrieved 2008-05-19. Leading conspiracy theorist and broadcaster Alex Jones of infowars.com argues that ...
  40. ^ ABC News
  41. ^ Roddy, Dennis B. (April 10, 2009). "An Accused Cop Killer's Politics". Slate. Retrieved July 23, 2009.
  42. ^ Rosell, Rich (27 November 2006). "Dark days, the Alex Jones interview". digitallyobsessed.com. Archived from the original on unspecified. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |archivedate= (help)
  43. ^ "The Alex Jones Show". Austin, TX: KLBJ. July 21, 2008. Archived from the original on September 26, 2010.
  44. ^ Hammack, Laurence (June 6, 2009). "Roanoke man charged with making online threats". The Roanoke Times. Archived from the original on June 9, 2009.
  45. ^ a b c "Piers Morgan vs. Alex Jones feud: helping or hurting gun control? (+video)". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  46. ^ Mirkinson, Jack (January 9, 2013). "Piers Morgan: Alex Jones 'Terrifying', A Perfect 'Advertisement For Gun Control'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  47. ^ "Social media abuzz over Piers Morgan vs. Alex Jones". CNN. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  48. ^ a b c Dixon, Hayley (June 9, 2013). "'Idiot' Bilderberg conspiracy theorist Alex Jones disrupts BBC politics show". telegraph.co.uk. London. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  49. ^ a b Topping, Alexandra (June 9, 2013). "Andrew Neil calls Alex Jones an idiot in Sunday Politics clash". guardian.co.uk. London. Retrieved June 9, 2013.
  50. ^ Taylor, Adam (9 June 2013). "Conspiracy Theorist Alex Jones Goes Berserk During BBC Show". Business Insider. Retrieved 9 June 2013.
  51. ^ a b Ciscarelli, Joe. "An Interview With Alex Jones, America's Leading (and Proudest) Conspiracy Theorist". Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  52. ^ "Alex Jones Profile". Southern Poverty Law Center.

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