The Smerconish Podcast · Episode 1940 · July 8, 2026 · 30 min

The Death of Reading Could Change Democracy Forever

What do we lose when we stop reading? Michael sits down with The Atlantic's Rose Horowitch to discuss her provocative cover story arguing that America is entering the post-reading era. From shrinking attention spans and changing classrooms to social media, AI, and the future of democracy, they examine why the decline of reading may be one of the defining cultural shifts of our time. Original air date 8 July 2026.