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If there’s any time the media should be especially careful about providing fact-checked information and context, it should be when people are saying they’re scared of World War III. Instead, in the wake of U.S. attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, we’ve been getting a rush of talking heads spouting all kinds of claims. Today, Josh explains what the media has failed to make clear about the intelligence on Iran’s nuclear capabilities; presidential powers; actions by previous U.S. administrations, and more.

Meanwhile, just days before Israel attacked nuclear sites in Iran, the head of a group that follows the Middle East closely predicted what was about to happen. Yet much of the media refuses to hear from him. Gregg Roman of the Middle East Forum joins Josh to discuss some of the biggest media fails.

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Since the previous episode, Josh has been living through history, and seeing first hand how reality can be so different from how it’s portrayed in the media. Today, he shares his experience of being stuck in Tel Aviv after learning during a 3 a.m. ride that Israel had launched a historic attack on key Iranian nuclear sites. Soon, he and his group were hiding in bomb shelters as The Islamic Republic of Iran began to rain huge numbers of missiles down on Israel. He takes you on the trek that allowed his delegation to make it to safety, including a passage that’s usually off limits, and a late night flight that, ultimately, got them out of Iran’s reach.

Along the way, Josh tells you crucial facts and context missing from the coverage in big media, including the reason “mutually assured destruction” does not work as a deterrent for Iran’s nuclear ambitions; the perils of a “failure of imagination”; and the inefficacy of a key international agency. He describes the “wild card” of the Iranian public, and how his own coverage of an uprising in Iran ended up being featured at the top of a PBS documentary.

Plus, how the U.S. media’s obsession with politics and refusal to stop and think led it to carry a nonsensical “runaway angle” immediately after the news broke. And how the attention economy can lead people to endanger others.

Meanwhile, Josh explains why his experience overseas helped him see the extent to which algorithms are dividing Americans no matter where they are. And he asks for your input on media coverage of events stateside, including protests and the National Guard deployment in California.

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It’s a powerful example of why truth requires context. A big, expensive military parade is scheduled in Washington on June 14, the 250th birthday of the U.S. Army — which just so happens to be Trump’s birthday. Protests are planned as well, many of which are organized under the banner “No Kings.” Today, Josh explains why it’s a crucial moment for the media to educate people about some basics of democracy, current events, and U.S. history. But superficial news coverage only makes political divides worse. Also, which U.S. military parade featured a giant bust of a president, and why a new poll of veterans is misleading.

Plus, big media blew it so badly on coverage of an American and Israeli effort to bring aid to Gaza that the White House was able to call out the BBC and other media. It’s the exact opposite of how things should be. Meanwhile, The Washington Post had such an epic fail that it actually pulled something. And The New York Times’ lack of basic logic reared its head yet again.

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The more the media lies, the more dangerous America becomes. Now, a slew of terrorist attacks are targeting Jewish people or events. A governor’s house was firebombed; a young Jewish woman and Christian man were slaughtered; and a march for hostages was firebombed. Among the wounded was an 88-year-old Holocaust survivor. In all these cases, radicalized terrorists said they were supporting “Palestine” — just as big mainstream media were “reporting” disproven lies about Israel’s actions in Gaza. Today, a guest joins Josh to explain the “absurd” reality: Rather than correcting what people say, the media is the one that has to be corrected.

Also, a new book about Biden’s decline is a journalistic fiasco designed to manipulate you and get your money. Josh shares behind-the-scenes details of how CNN has done this in the past. And he answers questions posed by Jon Stewart on the Daily Show.

Plus, a big announcement: Josh is taking a trip to Israel to correct the media, and needs your help! Founding Members of the newsletter will make it possible. Join at: TheyStandCorrected.substack.com. (Or make any contribution at paypal.me/joshlevs.) Josh suggests ways he can thank you.

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Every Memorial Day, the media praises the heroism of slain U.S. service members, especially those who served in World War II. But these reports are deeply hypocritical. Today, Josh explains how the media fuels the kinds anti-democratic movements that U.S. troops fought against. In fact, on a daily basis big news agencies legitimize a movement with roots in Nazism.

You’ll hear powerful words from FDR in the lead-up to World War II, arguing that the United States must help fellow democracies under attack. He called out infiltrators at home who support enemies of democracy, and people who cloak these agendas under alleged anti-war sentiments. It has great resonance now for Ukraine, Israel, and the radicalization fueling violence worldwide — including the horrific slaughter of a couple in Washington. It also speaks to the dangers of Trump extolling dictators and expressing authoritarian instincts.

Plus, Josh shares another president’s warning on the “military-industrial complex.” And beautiful Memorial Day music, including from a sergeant standing alone in a national cemetery. To all fallen U.S. service members: thank you.

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As soon as it started, a listener alerted Josh: an avalanche of “hit pieces” about Sen. John Fetterman was on the way. Soon, big news organizations did come forward with a slew of reports about the senator, a Democrat from Pennsylvania. The reporting involved allegations about his mental health from one named former staffer — and a bunch of anonymous people.

This triggered a debate. Did the media learn a lesson from Biden, or is it helping far left activists try to take down Fetterman for stances they don’t like? In addition to being willing to reach across the aisle, Fetterman has been unwavering in his recognition of Israel’s obvious right to fight to destroy Hamas after the most evil terrorist attack of modern times. 

Today, Josh explains that this story is about much more than one man. It’s about anonymous sourcing, rules over vetting information, and coverage of mental health. It’s a tale of buried lines that are crucial for context and fairness, the media’s tendency to forget the whole point of doing a story, and the gullibility that makes big news agencies ripe for a political operative to manipulate.

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The media isn’t just failing to fight for democracy; it’s punishing a nation for being a democracy. Today, Josh takes you on a trip to a region you virtually never hear about in the news, to show you the “practical, simple, and pathetic reason” this happens. Along the way, you’ll hear a crucial update on horrors facing Christians in Africa, and how a — perhaps surprising — religious leader stepped in where the media has failed. 

Meanwhile, in a follow-up to last week, hear how the most venerated U.S. news program engaged in a public act of grandstanding. It was praised by journalists, but should instead be studied as a memorable sign of news industry hypocrisy.

Plus, the media is propagating what is probably the biggest myth in U.S. politics, involving the two major parties and fiscal responsibility.

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Journalists are talking about the importance of truth telling. But what they’re saying conflicts with what their news agencies are doing. Today, Josh digs into this growing problem. When one speaker at a journalism awards dinner said something critical about the media, it ended up exposing the media’s propensity for grandstanding.

Plus, CBS platformed a Russian official in a long interview, and did not mention democracy. Even worse, CBS indicated that it took a piece of guidance from the Russian government. What?!

Meanwhile, a leader of Columbia University’s vicious antisemitic mobs has changed his story yet again. Josh explains.

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A man getting a ton of news attention tells a tale of his tragic, inspirational backstory, and the media eats it up. But what if it isn’t true? An independent journalist in the UK began doing some very basic fact checking, and quickly found that basic elements of the alleged story are, as he puts it “impossible.”

On today’s show, journalist David Collier joins Josh to discuss his coverage of a pro-terror radical from Columbia University whom the media have been portraying as a perfect, peace-loving hero. “I did what every single journalist in the United States should have done,” David explains. The tale this man is spinning could just as easily be “about Narnia. It’s crazy that any journalist has looked at this person and taken him seriously.”

So, have any major news agencies changed their reporting in the face of this evidence? Listen in to find out.

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An annual spectacle is about to take place in Washington, showing so much of what’s wrong with today’s media: the White House Correspondents Association Dinner. On today’s show, Josh digs into the corrosive obsession with “fame” in the news business, and how it leads journalists to stray far away from their role of providing you the truth.

You’ll hear a network’s flagship political show, just the other day, present sports analyst Stephen A. Smith as a contender for the U.S. presidency — without mentioning that he has no particular set of knowledge or skills for the job. (As Josh explains, Smith himself points out what’s wrong with this way of thinking.) And you’ll hear a political operative talk about how the fame obsession led members of his party in Washington to do “evil.”

Also, how the media weaponizes fame to skew stories, like that of a pro-terror radical from Columbia University. And a crucial lesson from the Enron scandal more than twenty years ago.

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There’s a line you often hear these days: that people don’t “see themselves reflected” in the media. Today, a guest joins Josh to explain how that problem applies to a majority of American voters — and how the media’s failure in this respect leaves people uninformed.

Plus, an anniversary! They Stand Corrected has completed a full year of episodes, with no weeks off. To celebrate, Josh answers listeners’ questions, shares amazing feedback, and offers a prescription for how to face an onslaught of awful news in the world. It’s a life skill that isn’t taught, but should be.

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It’s what Josh warned about in November: Exit polls are not trustworthy. Now, new information indicates what really happened in the elections — and proves that popular media narratives were wrong. One theory in particular that got traction in the media was the exact opposite of what happened.

To do its job in protecting democracy, the media must work to understand and accurately portray citizens of democratic nations. So Josh also digs into a misguided, problematic term used to describe one such group on the other side of the globe: “settlers.” It has been in the news in recent days. An attorney who gathers facts about this joins Josh to explain why the reality is not what news audiences have been told.

Plus why a Hollywood former child star’s realization about her mother carries such an important lesson.