Episode 15: Media & the Fight for Democracy
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When big news happens, media organizations clamor for your attention — even if they don’t have any new, concrete information to share with you. This breeds mistakes, hypocrisy, and more. In this episode, Josh explains what he’s watching out for in the coverage of the shooting at a Trump event, described by authorities as an attempted assassination.
Political violence operates against democracy. Inspired by his interview on a conservative radio show, Josh looked into the news media’s role in the fight for democracy, and discovered something: The media’s effect on anti-democratic forces is different in America from what it is in Europe.
In this episode, how TV news and apps are fueling anti-democratic efforts on both the right and the left. Also, how the media ignore the fact that Israel is one of the world’s oldest democracies, and that democracies are necessities for journalism. Plus, you’ll hear from Henry Kissinger and famed broadcaster Edward R. Murrow.
Episode 14: Editorial Boards and Crystal Balls
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It took only hours for the biggest political story to become a media story too, as news agencies rushed to cover the New York Times’ call for Biden to leave the race. In this episode, Josh explains that the media often treats the Times’ editorial board like the “great and powerful” Oz. In reality, it’s a group of 14 people with opinions. He explains that the media should contextualize this and show that another editorial board, from the biggest paper in an actual swing state, argued the opposite.
Also, welcome to new sponsor MIT45! In this episode, you’ll hear from CEO Ryan Niddel, who will discuss kratomresearchinstitute.org.
Episode 13: A Law to Ban Politicians Lying
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There’s an irony and media failure at the core of the national freakout over the recent presidential debate. The media’s fixation on President Biden’s demeanor is so much bigger than the focus on former President Trump’s long list of lies. It raises a question at the heart of American democracy this July 4th: Do we value truth?
In this episode, Josh dissects the media reactions and discusses a law being considered by another democratic government to ban lies by politicians. He explains that while the First Amendment protects all sorts of speech here, it actually is illegal for Americans to lie in numerous contexts — including to the federal government. Would it be such a stretch to say they can’t lie to us either?
Josh explains how this connects to U.S. war heroes, a guy being screamed at for what he was wearing in a store, and Superman.
Plus, a listener asks Josh why the media has rules requiring anti-Israel bias. He explains a devious tactic antisemites use to keep those rules in place.
Episode 12: Media Need a ‘Hypocrisy Meter’
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A listener asks Josh to fact check media coverage of Republicans’ attacks against Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan D.A. who successfully prosecuted Trump. It highlights a big issue: How the media’s lack of self-awareness severely damages our political scene. Today, how the media washes its hands of responsibility for creating a narrative.
Also, why the media needs a “hypocrisy meter” so that it points out when powerful people and entities are “engaging in a level of hypocrisy that is so obvious it can basically be seen from space.” Josh explores how allowing hypocrisy to go unchecked damages not only politics but also global conflicts. He shows how it applies to media coverage of the Middle East, including a “journalist” accused of having held Israeli hostages captive.
Episode 11: Whitewashing Al Jazeera
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From the way the mainstream media often describes it, you wouldn’t know Al Jazeera is a state-owned propaganda outlet of the Qatari government. And the problem isn’t just that the news organizations hide its identity. They go further, and praise it. Meanwhile, Al Jazeera praises and celebrates terrorists.
On this episode of They Stand Corrected, Josh exposes the hypocrisy of news organizations, particularly NPR, that complained about Twitter’s handling of state media labels while refusing to follow their own rules for Al Jazeera. Plus, someone from inside Al Jazeera who blew the whistle on how it shills for the Qatari government. And how the media’s obsession with adoring Al Jazeera has led news organizations to relatively downplay or even outright ignore the deaths of journalists in dangerous situations all over the world.
Episode 10: Your Questions Answered: Hamas Numbers, ‘Clear’ Science, Dads’ Heart Health
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To mark the tenth episode, Josh answers your questions and shares your comments. First, a viral story that the media got wrong, embarrassing a man who was unfairly sent to jail. Then, the topic of your biggest question of all: casualty figures from Gaza. Josh explains that even after the number of women and children allegedly killed dropped dramatically, media are still trusting Hamas — and trying to cover up the drop.
Then, a study that claims “the science is clear” — even though it isn’t. Josh explains the problems with that term, and why this report could make it harder for people to believe news about climate change and concussions among football players. You’ll hear from NFL icon Ronnie Lott.
And finally, do dads have worse heart health but also live longer lives? Josh breaks down a new study, just in time for Father’s Day.
Episode 9: Presidential Debates: The Secret Rules that Silence the Truth
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The first debate between President Biden and former president Trump is ostensibly going to take place June 27 — before Trump is sentenced on 34 counts. But even if the debate goes ahead, it’s crucial to know this: These events are a disaster for truth. Journalists serve as moderators even though journalism is precluded. Today, times when hosts have tried to fact check candidates during debates and why it doesn’t work. Josh explains how to fix this — and why news agencies should stop the pretense. Plus, he explains why these debates reflect a problem with the way we’re raising children in America.
Episode 8: All the Queen’s Lies, Part II
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A terrorist on the FBI Most Wanted list is living freely as a popular celebrity in Jordan, which is refusing to extradite her despite an extradition treaty with the United States. Another of her American victims died last year. Also, most likely the fastest ever killing of a large number of Palestinians, including terrorists, was carried out by Jordan, not Israel. And the reason the West Bank has its name is that Jordan occupied it. All this, and so much more, was left out of a major news network’s disastrous “interview” with Queen Rania.
Today, in Part II of Josh’s breakdown of this hypocritical “liefest,” the ways that journalists too often deprive you of not only facts, but also context. Plus, why an expression of opinion can be a crucial jumping off point to explore both. And what Hillary Clinton got right on The View.
Episode 7: All the Queen’s Lies, Part I
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When a listener asked Josh to look into Joy Reid’s interview with Queen Rania of Jordan on MSNBC, he discovered the “Shawshank Redemption” of fact checking.
Today, in Part I of a two-parter, how this interview shows the ways that blatant lies and hypocrisy are so prevalent in mainstream media, particularly when it comes to anything involving Israel. Hear about slain U.S. soldiers, ignored Israeli rape victims, backward narratives, erasure of history, and how the queen is using her position to gaslight the world. Also, how governments really responded to the October 7 massacres, support for “honor killings” in Jordan, and the media’s efforts to fuel a “big lie” on the left.
Episode 6: Pulitizers & The Double Whammy
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A quick update episode while Josh prepares a big two-parter to begin next week. In this update, he shares exciting news about the podcast being in Newsweek thanks to a column inspired by a listener.
Josh explains that while the media is looking for who, or what, to blame for the dangerous, violent protests on college campuses, they should “look in the freaking mirror.” The timing is especially important because the Pulitzer Prizes were announced, including for some news agencies whose profound journalistic failures are radicalizing people against the Jewish state.
Also, the “double whammy” — how you are being mistreated in two ways when the media feeds you lies.
Episode 5: The ‘Crying Wolf’ Myth
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Inside news organizations, there is widespread belief in a false, negative stereotype. It’s a myth strategically designed to skew their coverage against Israel and make them impervious to legitimate complaints of antisemitism. On this episode, Josh shows how the media pushes the “Jews cry wolf” myth, and two key tactics to watch out for.
We’ll learn how the media turns to the straw man fallacy, and tried to use it against Bill Maher in a question that “caved in on itself.” Also how the media could not have been any more wrong about Emma Watson. And a little wisdom from Jordan Peele.
Episode 4: The Media’s ‘Death Toll’ Fails
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The media’s anti-Israel bias is fueling dangerous protests and exacerbating serious threats to America. And it’s getting worse, with news organizations frequently parroting terrorists’ talking points. Case in point: “death tolls” from Gaza. In this episode, Josh explains why those numbers can’t be trusted. Also, the relatively scant attention given to wars with incomparably bigger death tolls, including one that killed an estimated 600,000 people in just two years this decade. (And wait until you hear the estimated tolls from the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.) Plus, an important note about the heroism of Americans who fought for the Allied Forces in World War II.
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