Radio Atlantic
The Atlantic has long been known as an ideas-driven magazine. Now we’re bringing that same ethos to audio. Like the magazine, the show will “road test” the big ideas that both drive the news and shape our culture. Through conversations—and sometimes sharp debates—with the most insightful thinkers and writers on topics of the day, Radio Atlantic will complicate overly simplistic views. It will cut through the noise with clarifying, personal narratives. It will, hopefully, help listeners make up their own mind about certain ideas.
The national conversation right now can be chaotic, reckless, and stuck. Radio Atlantic aims to bring some order to our thinking—and encourage listeners to be purposeful about how they unstick their mind.
Our Editor's Take
Listeners can embark on an intellectual odyssey with Radio Atlantic. More than a podcast, it's an immersive exploration of the issues shaping the world. In each riveting episode, host Hanna Rosin navigates a rich tapestry of ideas. With a distinctive voice and charisma, the host guides resonant conversations. Alongside fellow Atlantic editors and esteemed guests, Rosin explains many issues. Topics include everything from unraveling the mysteries of AI to explaining how to be nice.
This podcast is a direct line to the conversations shaping The Atlantic magazine. Each episode is a well-researched look at an intricate subject. "The Last Days of the Barcode" discusses UPC product codes. The scannable rectangles led to the huge variety of items in today's store shelves. Without them, there would be no Costcos. Editor Saahil Desai calls the barcode "one of the greatest inventions in American history." He tells Rosin how grocery executives decided on which barcode design to pick. They went out to see the porn film Deep Throat together. Then the execs decided to choose the IBM-created design. Desai and Rosin agree this is a quintessential 70s moment.
The episode called "Jenisha from Kentucky" has a more personal topic. It discusses a cover story for the magazine with the same title. Jenisha Watts, a senior editor at The Atlantic, looks back at her childhood. What is it like to grow up with a drug-addicted mother? Why was Jenisha able to escape poverty when her siblings did not? The editor went back to her home state to interview her family. She shares what she found out from them.
In another Radio Atlantic episode, writer Tom Nichols talks about Donald Trump. Nichols taught at the Naval War College for many years. So he understands the US military's mindset. He explains how officers helped thwart some of Trump's worst impulses. But the magazine writer worries about a "nightmare scenario" if Trump gets back in office. He explains what has changed in the military since Trump was president.
Radio Atlantic gives listeners a look at how good journalism is made. New episodes debut each Thursday.
Episodes
