EP 171: Why It Is Better To Be Right Than First: War Reporting With Trey Yingst

Fox News Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst joined Mosh after returning from Israel to break down the fragile ceasefire, the behind the scenes of war reporting, how he deals with the trauma of what he reports on, and the split-second decision that saved his life on October 7, 2023. Yingst’s guiding philosophy after a decade in conflict zones: humanize civilians, avoid sweeping conclusions, and stay relentlessly accurate — even when everyone online demands you pick a side. Yingst explains what’s happening between Israel and Hamas right now, and details the effective media blackout in Gaza, and how he verifies information through contacts inside the enclave. Yingst walks through how he looks to get the story right, the pressures of real-time reporting, and the importance of old-school verification. He revisits October 7th, including his book, ⁠'Black Saturday,'⁠ about the attack and the aftermath, and he reflects on what both Israelis and Palestinians are actually experiencing on the ground and why most people in the region aren’t consumed by war despite global perceptions. The conversation also covers: What remains of Hamas and whether Arab states can shape a post-war Gaza Why the world fixates on Israel-Palestine His reporting during the chaotic Kabul evacuation How he deals with the trauma of what he covers Trump’s nontraditional diplomacy and Jared Kushner’s growing role Where Ukraine-Russia peace talks stand and whether Putin has any incentive to stop fighting Rising global antisemitism and how it’s viewed inside Israel The role of social media in modern war reporting Mosheh Oinounou (⁠⁠⁠@mosheh⁠⁠⁠) is an Emmy and Murrow award-winning journalist. He has 20 years of experience at networks including Fox News, Bloomberg Television and CBS News, where he was the executive producer of the CBS Evening News and launched the network's 24 hour news channel. He founded the @mosheh Instagram news account in 2020 and the Mo News podcast and newsletter in 2022.