The Babylon Bee

The Babylon Bee

Company type	Private
Industry	Satirical news, Media
Founded	March 1, 2016 (2016-03-01)
Founder	Adam Ford
Headquarters	Jupiter, Florida , United States
Key people	Seth Dillon (CEO and principal owner), Dan Dillon (manager of affiliated site Not the Bee), Kyle Mann (editor-in-chief)
Number of employees	24 (2023)
Website	babylonbee.com

The Babylon Bee is a satirical news platform with a conservative Christian perspective, delivering humorous articles that lampoon religion, politics, current affairs, and notable individuals.

History

Established by Adam Ford and officially launched on March 1, 2016, The Babylon Bee operates out of Jupiter, Florida and employs approximately 24 staff members distributed throughout the United States.

In 2017, the website attracted widespread attention after publishing a satirical piece about televangelist Joel Osteen amid Hurricane Harvey. The article humorously depicted Osteen navigating a luxury yacht through flooded Houston to hand out his book, which led to several fact-checking responses.

By the end of 2018, Ford transferred ownership of the site to Seth Dillon, motivated by concerns regarding social media platforms’ influence and perceived biases against conservatives. Kyle Mann, who had been serving as head writer since 2016, assumed the role of editor-in-chief. Ford maintained a financial interest until November 2023 when he fully ceded control to Seth and Dan Dillon. Seth Dillon remains the principal owner of The Babylon Bee, while Dan Dillon manages its affiliated site Not the Bee.

At the time of this transition, the website was drawing roughly 3 million page views per month. By October 2020, monthly visitors had grown to approximately 8 million, outpacing similar satire outlets. By January 2021, monthly page views surpassed 20 million with a subscriber base exceeding 20,000 paying members and a Twitter audience over 856,000. In January 2022, The Economist reported that The Babylon Bee claimed peak readership figures near 25 million per month and ranked as one of the leading conservative media platforms following Fox News.

Content

Initially, The Babylon Bee targeted its satire at progressives, Democrats, Republicans, Christians, and former President Donald Trump. Founder Adam Ford explained in 2016 that the site’s goal extended beyond mere entertainment to encouraging introspection by spotlighting underappreciated topics. Early articles frequently poked fun at peculiarities within evangelical Protestant circles while also lampooning believers from diverse denominations and political affiliations. By 2021, much of its content concentrated on perceived superficiality within evangelical culture, with political satire driving significant audience engagement.

Approaching the 2020 election cycle, the site pivoted from predominantly critiquing Trump toward focusing more heavily on liberalism and left-wing politics, although it maintained satire aimed at both major parties. Editor-in-chief Kyle Mann described their approach as broadly inclusive in humor but more critical of left-leaning targets without harboring malice. Some critics have highlighted recurring jokes directed at marginalized communities and occasional antagonistic tones toward LGBTQIA+ individuals. Mann articulated that their mission involves ridiculing cultural authorities while conveying truths amid growing doubts about objective reality.

In December 2021, The Babylon Bee featured Elon Musk as a guest on its podcast where discussions ranged from Senator Elizabeth Warren’s tax critiques to Musk’s perspectives on Christianity and controversies in mainstream media. This notable interview emphasized the publication’s expanding role within conservative media networks.

The website’s rise has been linked to escalating political divisions in the United States, attracting audiences eager for content that reinforces their viewpoints. Observers such as Nick Gillespie from Reason have commended its steady humor and influential presence. Prestigious outlets including The New Yorker and The New York Times have characterized The Babylon Bee as a Christian or conservative analogue to The Onion.

Misinterpreted as Actual News

Between 2016 and 2020, as The Babylon Bee's audience expanded, media professionals engaged in debates on how to confront the surge of fake news and its societal consequences. The site became part of this conversation when several of its satirical pieces were circulated or reported as genuine news.

In 2019, a widely shared Babylon Bee article humorously asserted that Donald Trump claimed to have "done more for Christianity than Jesus", which led to a Snopes fact-check after some readers mistook it for truth. Research conducted by Ohio State University that same year revealed that audiences often confused satirical content from sources like The Babylon Bee, The Colbert Report, and The Onion with authentic news. This study highlighted that stories from The Babylon Bee ranked among the most widely disseminated inaccurate information, with Republicans more prone than Democrats to perceive them as factual. Kyle Mann, the editor-in-chief, criticized the methodology of this research, contending that headlines were extracted out of context or altered in surveys.

Reactions from the media regarding these misunderstandings have been mixed: some stress the clear satirical nature of the site, while others argue it might inadvertently mislead viewers. The recurring nature of such confusion has resulted in numerous fact-checking efforts.

In September 2020, the British newspaper The Guardian erroneously published a manipulated image originating from The Babylon Bee as authentic. The following month, then-President Donald Trump retweeted a satirical piece alleging Twitter shut down to shield Joe Biden from unfavorable press, apparently unaware it was parody. This sparked debate over whether The Babylon Bee unintentionally disseminates misinformation disguised as humor.

Writers such as Kevin Roose in The New York Times concluded that although the site’s intent is comedic rather than deceptive, it can unintentionally spread falsehoods when taken at face value. Slate’s Parker J. Bach observed that the site produces ironically ambiguous material that allows right-wing audiences to reinforce preexisting beliefs, often building upon misinformation and conspiracy theories. James Varney of The Washington Times noted that The Babylon Bee's satire frequently gets mistaken for legitimate news, prompting social media platforms to fact-check or temporarily restrict content, earning the site the nickname "the paper of record" among conservative bloggers.

Social Media and Platform Challenges

The Babylon Bee has encountered multiple instances of content removal, account warnings, and suspensions across various social media platforms—some later reversed after being identified as mistakes. CEO Seth Dillon alleges a targeted campaign against conservative and Christian perspectives by news outlets, fact-checkers, and social networks, framing these actions as elements of cancel culture.

In March 2018, following Snopes’ classification of a Babylon Bee satire about CNN as "false," Facebook threatened to reduce the site’s content reach and monetization but subsequently apologized for the misjudgment. In August 2020, Twitter briefly suspended the site's account due to an erroneous spam filter flag.

October 2020 saw Facebook remove a post mocking Senator Mazie Hirono’s opposition to Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination and demonetize the page citing policies against incitement to violence. Dillon criticized this decision for lacking contextual understanding. That same month, Senator Mike Lee referenced The Babylon Bee during a Senate hearing on Section 230 as an example highlighting perceived bias on social media against conservative voices.

In February 2022, Facebook deleted a post titled "Trans Woman Breaks Jeopardy Record, Proving Once and for All That Men Are Smarter Than Women," referencing champion Amy Schneider, citing hate speech policies. Dillon announced intentions to appeal this removal.

Disputes

Snopes

In March 2018, The Babylon Bee released a satirical piece suggesting CNN employed an industrial washing machine to "spin" news stories. Two days later, Snopes labeled this article "false," leading Facebook to warn The Babylon Bee about potential restrictions on distribution and monetization. Following public criticism, Facebook admitted its error and updated its system recognizing satire should not be classified as false information.

In July 2019, an article by The Babylon Bee covered a genuine event involving a Georgia legislator and a Chick-fil-A employee. Snopes rated it "false," alleging intentional deception rather than satire. CEO Adam Ford responded critically on Twitter; the publication called this rating a dishonest "smear" and engaged legal counsel over concerns about potential deplatforming. Later, Snopes amended their wording and appended an editor’s note clarifying their intentions. Ford emphasized on Fox News that mislabeling satire as fake news jeopardizes their business by reducing traffic from platforms relying on fact-checkers. David Mikkelson, co-founder of Snopes, acknowledged flawed phrasing but denied any intent to discredit the site.

Responding to these controversies, in August 2019 Snopes introduced a new category labeled "labeled satire" specifically for satirical content. Articles previously marked false were updated accordingly. Snopes explained this label applies broadly to satire but does not differentiate between effective or misunderstood humor. CEO Seth Dillon and writer Kyle Mann criticized this designation in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal, arguing it implies bad faith in their comedic work despite revisions made following legal pressure.

Twitter Suspension and Restoration

On March 20, 2022, The Babylon Bee’s Twitter account was suspended after posting "The Babylon Bee’s Man of the Year Is Rachel Levine", referring to then U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health who is transgender. Twitter cited violation of its "hateful conduct" policy. CEO Seth Dillon declined to remove the tweet in exchange for reinstatement, stating Twitter demanded an admission of hateful conduct which they refused. On March 23, their appeal was denied. Dillon expressed disappointment but maintained his position against compliance. Co-founder Matt Mann was also locked out after tweeting critical remarks about Twitter’s handling of Chinese government accounts; Mann denied transphobia while affirming respect for all individuals alongside defending their cultural viewpoint.

On April 4, 2022—the day Elon Musk acquired a 9.2% stake in Twitter—Dillon disclosed Musk had contacted The Babylon Bee shortly after suspension to verify facts and discuss free speech concerns on the platform. Dillon suggested their suspension partially influenced Musk’s decision to purchase Twitter but was not the sole factor. Musk publicly supported The Babylon Bee; it was later revealed his ex-wife Talulah Riley encouraged him to buy Twitter partly due to this ban.

Musk formally offered to buy Twitter on April 14; the offer was accepted April 25 with completion on October 27. Within hours of acquisition, he instructed Trust and Safety personnel to restore The Babylon Bee’s account—viewing its suspension as emblematic of partisan moderation excesses motivating his purchase. In consultations with Twitter management Musk acknowledged the tweet was “not cool” but did not justify suspension. Reinstatement awaited new content policies; Trust and Safety head Yoel Roth resigned November 10; Musk reinstated the account November 18.

On March 28, 2023, Dillon testified as an expert witness before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology concerning regulation and censorship experiences related to Twitter.

Vivek Ramaswamy Article

On January 16, 2024—the day Vivek Ramaswamy ended his 2024 U.S. presidential campaign—The Babylon Bee published an article titled "Trump Promises Vivek An Administration Position Running The White House 7-Eleven". It included an altered photo showing Ramaswamy in a 7-Eleven uniform within the White House. The piece drew criticism across political lines on Twitter for perpetuating stereotypes associating Indian Americans with convenience store jobs. Right-wing commentator Matt Walsh dismissed offended users as "pathetic" and stated Ramaswamy was unbothered by the joke. Seth Dillon also called critics “stupid.” Ramaswamy shared Walsh's post jokingly calling himself a “survivor,” indicating no offense taken.

Additional Disputes

In November 2024, the Southern Poverty Law Center condemned both The Babylon Bee and its sister site Not the Bee for espousing far-right views on LGBTQ issues deemed unacceptable in society by SPLC standards. They published personal details of several writers and staff members drawn from breaches such as Elance. Seth Dillon described this as a “doxxing and smear campaign” aimed at suppressing free expression; Elon Musk labeled SPLC a “criminal organization.”

In November 2025 after Megyn Kelly expressed support for Tucker Carlson following his interview with Nick Fuentes, The Babylon Bee posted a satirical article titled "Megyn Kelly Gets Rid Of Old Pager Just To Be Safe," referencing the 2024 Lebanon electronic device attacks. Kelly responded with “WTF,” with some interpreting the piece as incitement against her; the site subsequently removed it shortly thereafter. Podcaster Tim Pool argued that joke implied Israel assassinates Americans critical of it; journalist Glenn Greenwald suggested renaming it The Tel Aviv Bee.

Legal Actions

Both The Babylon Bee and its affiliate site Not the Bee have actively pursued free speech litigation by participating in lawsuits and filing amicus briefs at various judicial levels.

As Plaintiffs

In April 2023, alongside Tim Pool and Minds, The Babylon Bee filed suit against California's Attorney General seeking an injunction against AB 587—a law requiring social media companies to report enforcement actions related to hate speech, disinformation, harassment, and extremism policies. The case was dismissed in August 2023.

After enactment of AB-2355, AB-2655, and AB-2839 in California, The Babylon Bee challenged enforcement of two latter bills through legal complaint backed by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), arguing these laws confer excessive discretionary enforcement power. Governor Newsom defended these statutes as measures combating harmful deepfake political content. Shortly after filing suit, a federal judge issued an injunction blocking enforcement due to constitutional free speech concerns. In September 2025 a federal court ruled these laws unconstitutional; Judge Mendez emphasized political digital content cannot be suppressed through censorship or legislation.

A comparable law in Hawaii (SB2687), initially targeting deceptive AI deepfakes but expanded to cover satire/parody targeting politicians, led ADF-supported lawsuit by The Babylon Bee alongside Hawaii resident Dawn O’Brien alleging infringement upon political speech rights.

Amicus Briefs

In Novak v. City of Parma—a case involving Anthony Novak’s satirical Facebook page mocking local police—satire website The Onion submitted an amicus brief supporting Novak before the Supreme Court arguing police acted against clearly satirical expression. In October 2022,The Babylon Bee filed an amicus brief endorsing The Onion’s stance. Subsequently,The Babylon Bee published (but did not file) a satirical brief supporting police authority ironically arguing for protecting coercive government powers. The Sixth Circuit ruled officers had qualified immunity; Supreme Court declined review leaving ruling intact.

Following New York's enactment of its Hateful Conduct Law (Section 394-CCC), legal challenges were initiated by Eugene Volokh along with video platform Rumble and crowdfunding service Locals, resulting in preliminary injunction. When New York Attorney General Letitia James appealed,this prompted The Babylon Bee to submit an amicus brief in September 2023 criticizing law’s regulation over constitutionally protected expression.

In response to Florida (SB 7072) and Texas (HB20) legislation limiting social media moderation powers,trademark association NetChoice filed lawsuits seeking injunctions via Moody v. NetChoice LLC and NetChoice v Paxton.. Federal appeals courts issued conflicting rulings leading Supreme Court to consolidate cases for review.Subsequently,The Babylon Bee alongside Not the Bee filed joint amicus brief in January 2024 supporting these states’ laws,arguing social media platforms inconsistently apply moderation policies aimed at suppressing conservative viewpoints. Both outlets cited personal experiences with censorship by major social networks.

Not the Bee

Launched September 1, 2020 by Dillons and Ford,Not the Bee differs from satire by publishing unusual news stories with commentary plus hosting a social media platform.Seth Dillon characterizes it as “a humor-driven entertainment site offering commentary on stories so absurd they seem like satire—but aren’t.”

Publications & Media

Books

• How to Be a Perfect Christian: Your Comprehensive Guide to Flawless Spiritual Living (2018), authored by The Babylon Bee with Adam Ford; published by Multnomah.
• The Sacred Texts of The Babylon Bee Volume 1 (2020), published under Babylon Bee imprint T.H.E.

The Babylon Bee Guides

• The Babylon Bee Guide to Wokeness (2021), co-authored by The Babylon Bee team including Joel Berry & Kyle Mann; Salem Books published it.It reached #20 on Amazon's bestseller list first week,#22 on USA Today bestseller list,and #4 on Publishers Weekly paperback bestsellers.
• The Babylon Bee Guide to Democracy (2022), Salem Books.
• Babylon Bee Guide to Gender (2023), Salem Books.
• The Babylon Bee Guide to the Apocalypse (2024), Regnery Publishers.

Film

• January 6th: The Most Deadliest Day – a feature examining the influence of The Babylon Bee in the media landscape.

Audio

• The Babylon Bee podcast – introduced on June 15, 2019, broadening the brand’s reach into audio content.

See also

• List of satirical news websites