Episodes

  • Episode 76: The Censorship Line

    Episode 76: The Censorship Line
    Oct 1 2025
    When does pressure from someone in the government become censorship? That might be the most important question surrounding some of the biggest news stories right now. But the media doesn't even seem to be asking it, let alone trying to answer it. Today, Josh explains a new Pentagon policy that is so obviously against press freedoms that even a Fox analyst is calling out. Meanwhile, some headlines say that Google is accusing the Biden administration of having exerted “censorship pressure.” But is that what Google’s saying? Plus, Kamala Harris is out with a book, and her first interview showed some problems with the media. Meanwhile, on another network, an overall good conversation should remind the anchor to take his own advice. And Josh discusses news coverage of partisan violence, efforts to avert a government shutdown, and yet another proposal to end the war in Gaza. Get the free newsletter that accompanies this show: TheyStandCorrected.substack.com. The show needs your support, so become a paid subscriber now at a special, meaningful rate for this time of year. You can also send feedback via the form at joshlevs.com, and support via paypal.me/joshlevs. Help the show by supporting sponsors: A government shutdown could have big ramifications on your life -- including healthcare, travel, and more. Learn how with Data Undistorted from USA Facts: bit.ly/4nrI6ER. Limited time is left to sign the petition demanding action on the national debt, from Concord Action: bit.ly/4m9uHQt. Join the world’s oldest book club! Just 15 minutes a week. Get the weekly newsletter about the Torah portion from The Simchat Torah Challenge: bit.ly/4nx4NaO
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    31 mins
  • Episode 75: Hypocrisy on Violence

    Episode 75: Hypocrisy on Violence
    Sep 24 2025
    There are real dangers of lasting, deadly political violence from both ends of America’s polarized society. The media has played a huge role in getting us here. While big mainstream news organizations have been calling out violence on the right, they’ve been ignoring and fueling it on the left. Today, Josh shows how the media has parsed through controversial words from slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk while extolling a far-left figure who supports, praises, and celebrates terrorism. What Hasan Piker says is “graphic and demented,” Josh explains. Also, a survey of college students finds a massive spike in support for violence -- and shows the far left has been “the most accepting of violence” for years. All this is context for the battle surrounding late-night host Jimmy Kimmel. Josh discusses an opportunity Kimmel has if he chooses to take it. Plus: a professional actor responds to last week’s episode, and the BBC punishes its own presenter for saying something true.
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    31 mins
  • Episode 74: Homicide Politics

    Episode 74: Homicide Politics
    Sep 17 2025
    In covering political violence and homicides, the media keeps missing one of its most important responsibilities. Today, Josh explains how an obsession with politics has been poisoning not only the coverage of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk’s killing, but also the killing of a young woman on light rail in North Carolina. It boils down to a key question of whether we're going to move forward as a society or not. To help you understand this, Josh looks at the attempted assassination of author Salman Rushdie, the assassination of Doctor Martin Luther King Jr., and a problematic line journalists use when discussing violence and mental health. Also, an American news network fired an analyst following Kirk’s death. In context, his remarks seem different from what made the rounds on social media. But the incident raises a larger question about how the news handles early reports of gunfire. Plus the BBC runs cover for a student leader who celebrated Kirk’s assassination, stars preach hatred at the Emmys, and the leading study on political violence in America shows how antisemitism fuels it on both ends of the political spectrum.
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    31 mins
  • Episode 73: Doha, Putin & Propaganda

    Episode 73: Doha, Putin & Propaganda
    Sep 10 2025
    As the media “blows it” in coverage of the war between Israel and terrorists, another story is getting buried: the incomparably huger death toll in Russia’s war on Ukraine. Today, Josh takes you inside that reporting to show how the media can follow basic editorial standards when it wants to. You'll also hear how journalists remind audiences of the war’s origins and describe Putin. The media assails “propaganda” from certain countries, especially on Twitter, while simultaneously reporting propaganda as fact. Josh tells you about an international organization for journalists, beloved by the media, that recently organized a propaganda campaign of its own. Some big news agencies took part -- and none called out the hypocrisy. Also, Josh ties up a couple of loose ends from previous episodes, involving jury selection and a survey of Americans during wartime.
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    31 mins
  • Episode 72: School Shooting Bombardments

    Episode 72: School Shooting Bombardments
    Sep 3 2025
    When horrific school shootings and other mass shootings happen, the media swarms onto the scene. This leads to problems and controversies. One is the propensity to give perpetrators the attention they crave, which fuels further attacks. Today, Josh explains that while the media has made some improvements on this, it has done very little about another issue: the use of photos and videos, particularly of children, in the aftermath. The law does not offer the protections that many parents believe. Today you'll hear someone who survived an elementary school shooting explain how the media reawakens trauma for decades to come. And the father of a young man killed in a mass shooting says what it takes to get news agencies to listen. Then, Josh tells you about a big shift taking place among three of the nation's biggest newspapers. They’re moving in opposite directions, signaling a change at the heart of U.S. media. One owned by Rupert Murdoch is standing up to Trump, while two traditionally liberal papers are pulling punches. In preparing for this episode, Josh discovered something about one of these papers that he’s never seen before. Find details, links, photos, social media materials, and a searchable archive at the free newsletter: TheyStandCorrected.substack.com. That's also where you can submit questions and comments. This show counts on listener support, so become a paid subscriber for exclusive content. You’ll see how to email big news outlets and access failing legacy media for free, legally. You can also send feedback through the form at joshlevs.com, and support through paypal.me/joshlevs.
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    30 mins
  • Episode 71: Correcting Ezra Klein

    Episode 71: Correcting Ezra Klein
    Aug 27 2025
    Listeners asked for it: a fact check of some claims by the New York Times’ Ezra Klein. Today, Josh explores how Klein misrepresents data, mischaracterizes large groups of people, and ignores truths that disprove his assertions. You’ll hear how Klein even invoked Nazi-era Germans in an act of “privilege” that maligned the vast majority of Israeli Jews. Also, more on the battle between Ronan Farrow and Matt Lauer. You’ll hear what Farrow’s failures mean for The New Yorker, and why his defenders engage in a form of bigotry called “youngism.” Also, how journalists at some big news agencies “put their cards on the table” by openly assigning victimhood. Plus, why the Pulitzers aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. And an important message to those who want to believe everything Klein says.
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    32 mins
  • Episode 70: Farrow v. Lauer

    Episode 70: Farrow v. Lauer
    Aug 20 2025
    A public battle between two former NBC employees serves as a window into the toxic mess of big media. Today, Josh pries that window open for you. When Ronan Farrow’s book "Catch and Kill" came out, it contained explosive allegations against Matt Lauer, former host of Today (known as “The Today Show”). A woman was accusing Lauer of rape. While much of the media treated the book as gospel, a writer at a website was willing to take a critical look. Soon, working with Lauer, he helped uncover gaping holes in Farrow’s “reporting.” Finally, one person at a major newspaper wrote a story about just some of those failings. This is a story of how victim narratives have supplanted a search for truth. It’s about a crucial rule of fact checking, particularly in cases like this. It’s about the media’s need to accept that even someone it wants to like can be wrong. And it's about perhaps the biggest fact-checking failure of all in today's media ecosystem: books that are supposed to be nonfiction.
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    31 mins
  • Episode 69: Connectomes

    Episode 69: Connectomes
    Aug 13 2025
    Liars are using the media to overwhelm people’s minds -- and not just consciously. To understand how deep this problem runs, we need to learn how the news impacts the unconscious mind. Today, Josh speaks with a woman who has exceptional insight, and has coined the term “Brand Connectome.” You’ll learn how people manipulate our brains, and what we can do about it. Along the way, you’ll hear about new data on violent crimes that fly in the face of Trump’s claims; a type of crime that has reached historic levels; a photographer who stages images; and an interviewer who does nothing when a lying terror supporter justifies atrocities. Plus, Josh answers a listener’s question about presidents and the national debt.
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    30 mins