How The Onion is saving itself from the digital media death spiral

Satire & Politics

The Onion's unique blend of satire and political commentary has positioned it as a cultural staple. Ben Collins and Danielle Strle discuss how the publication navigates the intersection of humor and politics, particularly in today's charged climate. They emphasize the importance of moving forward and adapting to new platforms like TikTok to engage younger audiences 1. Collins highlights the enduring role of The Onion in challenging power and making jokes about everyone, regardless of political affiliation 2.

Your job is to challenge power in any real way and also just make jokes about everybody.

--- Ben Collins

This approach ensures that The Onion remains relevant and impactful in the ever-evolving landscape of political satire.

   

Disinformation

Addressing the challenges of disinformation, The Onion's content often gets misinterpreted as misinformation, especially online. Ben Collins recounts an incident where a satirical article about eating rocks was taken seriously and spread as factual information 3. He differentiates between satire and disinformation, emphasizing that the former is rooted in humor and empathy, while the latter is a coordinated effort to mislead 3.

Jokes and absurdism. That's not disinformation. That's fucking being alive.

--- Ben Collins

Danielle Strle adds that The Onion approaches its content from a baseline of humanity, which helps maintain its integrity and purpose even when headlines are decontextualized on social media 4.