The Atlantic’s McKay Coppins sat down with Evan Smith, The Atlantic’s managing director for events, to talk about the precarious landscape of local news, the rise of misinformation and threats to a free press, and what the media can do to evolve and rebuild trust in an institution that’s vital to our democracy.

This episode features a conversation recorded on May 11, 2026, in Salt Lake City, Utah, as part of our Atlantic Across America series. It was produced in partnership with the Deseret News’ podcast Deseret Voices. 

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