Fresh Air Former Infowars employee on Alex Jones' conspiracy machine
67 snips
Mar 30, 2026 
Josh Owens, a former Infowars video editor and field producer who wrote a memoir about his time there. He recalls staged stunts like fabricated ISIS scenes and a faux radiation road trip. He discusses how cinematic editing, headlines and product sales drove the operation. He explains the fear-filled workplace, why young men are drawn in, and why he ultimately left.
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Fake Radiation Hunt At California Beaches
- Josh Owens describes a rushed Pacific Coast Geiger counter trip ordered by Alex Jones to prove Fukushima radiation on the West Coast.
- The team found no consistent high readings, Jones pressured them to doubt their instruments, and he got furious when results contradicted his narrative.
Headlines Over Sources Drove Reporting
- Infowars emphasized headlines over sourcing, omitting origins when inconvenient and using any headline that fit Alex Jones's narrative.
- Owens says Jones rarely read articles beyond the headline and guided edits based on what could be spun for the show.
Plane Over Austin Turned Into Doomsday Story
- A low-flying plane over Austin became an overnight doomsday narrative when Jones described it as an E-4B psychological operation.
- Staff filmed, Jones scripted the spin, but local news later called it a routine military exercise and the story fizzled.
