“The question arises: how could Jones’s private text messages have harmed the defendants?”
That’s not the only reason they can be valuable as evidence. If, for example, the text messages show that Jones knew that the public statements at issue he was making were false, then that is very relevant evidence.
“Silencing Jones will also intimidate many others who hold unconventional views outside the range of acceptable viewpoints, from Fox to Huffpost.”
If by “silencing”, you mean making them think twice before they publish false and malicious statements about other people, then that’s actually a good thing.
More two tier justice. CNN lied about Trump for 4 years straight. Said he was a Russian agent, had thr scumbag lawyer trashing him daily, said he paid people to pee on Obamas bed. I could go on and on. Confident they’ll never been treated the way Jones is being treated.
Did Jones’s text messages indicate his disbelief in the Sandy Hook massacre or not? If he said that he believed the children were killed yet broadcast his disbelief, then there may be cause for defamation. However, if he held to the belief that the massacre did not happen, he is entitled to his opinion even if errant.