Radio Atlantic is the first podcast released by The Atlantic. The podcast is hosted by Jeffrey Goldberg and is co-hosted by Matt Thompson and Alex Wagner. The choice of theme song for Radio Atlantic is an interesting story.
In 1861, a New England abolitionist named Julia Ward Howe, moved by the sight of thousands of blue coats massing outside Washington, D.C., wrote a martial and stirring poem that palced God on the side of the Union cause. She sent her poem to James T. Fields, the editor of The Atlantic. He agreed to publish it, and paid her $4 for her effort. The poem had no name, so Fields, a full-service editor, devised one for himself. In February of 1862, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” appeared on the front cover of the magazine.
Jeffrey Thompson is the Editor-in Chief of The Atlantic. Matt Thompson is the executive editor of The Atlantic. Alex Wagner a writer for The Atlantic and a CBS News Anchor. It was Matt Thompson who suggested the use of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” as the music for Radio Atlantic, noting that it was The Atlantic’s “theme song.”
Radio Atlantic is a weekly flagship podcast from The Atlantic. In it, The Atlantic’s top editors sit down with leading voices to explore what’s happening in the world, how things became the way they are, and where they’re going next.
The Trailer for Radio Atlantic was launched on July 11, 2017. Since then, seven full episodes have been released. The most recent is Episode seven, “Are Smartphones Harming Our Kids?” In this episode, they question if mobile devices are taking a toll on our children’s mental health.
Previous episodes included a variety of topics including: “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”, religious expression, smart machines taking over the workforce, North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, “alternative facts” and the aftermath of what happened in Charlottesville. Several episodes include well informed guests who contribute to the conversation.