cover of episode The Onion’s Owner on Satire, Infowars, Defending Democracy & Trump

The Onion’s Owner on Satire, Infowars, Defending Democracy & Trump

2025/4/7
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Jeff Lawson: 我从大学辍学创业,是因为看到了互联网的巨大潜力。我创立的Twilio公司取得了成功,但最终因为没有有效处理与激进投资者的冲突而被解雇。这让我意识到,即使是作为创始人,也需要在危机时刻有效领导董事会。离开Twilio后,我开始专注于个人项目和指导年轻创业者,并与妻子共同创立了‘优先民主’政治行动委员会,致力于支持那些捍卫民主原则的候选人,无论其党派如何。我们积极参与了包括威斯康星州最高法院选举在内的各种选举,以确保那些维护法治的人能够当选。我相信,在当前政治环境下,维护民主至关重要,即使这意味着要投入大量资金和精力。 我收购了《洋葱报》,这不仅仅是一笔商业交易,更是为了拯救这家重要的讽刺新闻机构。我认为讽刺和喜剧是传递真相的有效方式,它能够以一种更容易被大众接受的方式,直击人们的内心想法。在当前媒体环境下,《洋葱报》这样的讽刺新闻机构,能够以独特的视角,揭露社会问题,并促进公众对重要议题的思考。我们试图收购Infowars,也是为了探索新的媒体形式,以更有效地吸引年轻一代的受众。 我关注到大学里DEI(多元化、包容性和公平)倡议的实施,以及由此引发的争议。我认为DEI的初衷是好的,但其执行方式有时会适得其反。‘公平’这个概念尤其复杂,因为它可能导致人们产生不公平感。如果我们想要在社会中取得进展,就必须以一种能够赢得人心和思想的方式来推进DEI倡议。我们应该避免简单地指责和羞辱,而应该专注于如何将不同群体团结起来,共同努力创造一个更美好的社会。 Kara Swisher: 作为一名记者,我关注到许多科技公司CEO与特朗普保持友好关系,这让我感到担忧。我认为,企业领导者应该将公民责任置于股东利益之上,维护法治和民主原则。在当前政治环境下,讽刺新闻和喜剧扮演着重要的角色,它们能够帮助人们以一种更轻松的方式,理解和反思复杂的社会问题。同时,我也关注到大学里DEI倡议的实施,以及由此引发的争议。我认为,DEI的执行方式需要更加谨慎,避免适得其反。

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Last year, after pressure from activist investors, Jeff Lawson stepped down from his perch as CEO from Twilio, the cloud communications company he co-founded. But he didn’t spend any time twiddling his thumbs — that same spring, he bought the satirical news organization The Onion), and by the end of the year, they’d tried to buy Alex Jones’ Infowars at a bankruptcy auction. 

Jeff also stayed busy on the political front, continuing his work on DemocracyFirst, a political action committee he co-founded, in 2022, to support candidates committed to democracy. 

So there was plenty to chew on when Kara interviewed Jeff last week at Democracy’s Information Dilemma, a symposium hosted by the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

They discuss the tech founder mindset; how Jeff is remaking The Onion; why political satire is more necessary than ever; why DEI — which Jeff championed as a CEO — can sometimes do more harm than good; and how to fight for democracy during Trump 2.0.

Questions? Comments? Email us at [email protected] or find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher.

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