At The Atlantic’s Miami forum, journalists examine national security reporting, newsroom restructuring, and the challenges shaping modern media.
Sophia Baltonado | PantherNOW
On February 12th, 2026, the Atlantic Across America event was held in Miami as part of the Knight Media Forum at the InterContinental Miami. The discussion, moderated by Evan Smith, managing director for events at The Atlantic, focused on press freedom, national security reporting, and changes within major news organizations.
Journalist Georgia Fort opened the program, speaking of her and former CNN anchor Don Lemon’s recent arrests related to their coverage of a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, under the charges of interfering with the right of religious freedom. Fort spoke of her experience of law enforcement arriving at her home in possession of an arrest warrant and her having to advocate for herself after surrendering.
“We are supposed to have our constitutional right of the freedom to film, to be a member of the press,” Fort said, referring to what she called an “erosion of rights as a member of the press” and stated, “As a country we’ve developed a bias for our rights to be violated with very little consequence which has now fostered a culture where this is now normal.”
The program then moved to a panel featuring The Atlantic staff writers Tom Nichols, Missy Ryan, and Nancy A. Youssef. The panel addressed reporting on national security and foreign policy, including coverage of the Pentagon and federal agencies, referencing the administration of Donald Trump and changes in communication between government officials and the press.
One speaker said, “The press has a sense of responsibility. The same rules apply as always. There’s a thoughtful conversation that happens even if we can’t engage with the department in the same forthright manner that we used to be able to do.”
Photos by Sophia Baltonado | PantherNOW
The final speaker was Martin Baron, former executive editor of The Washington Post. Baron discussed Jeff Bezos’s 2013 purchase of The Washington Post, noting that while the early years brought newsroom investment and editorial independence, recently the Post has faced restructuring and layoffs.
Baron said pressure grew during the administration of Donald Trump, who frequently criticized Bezos and the Post while Amazon held federal contracts. He suggested those tensions affected the paper’s direction; however, despite the challenges facing newsrooms today, when asked what he’d recommend for young journalists who find themselves in the position to work for the post, Baron encourages them to do so, stating that they can gain experience and do “tremendously important work.”
Overall, the event highlighted the challenges shaping journalism today. As Georgia Fort said during the event, “You cannot be neutral about the dismantling of our democracy,” a reminder of the essential role journalists play in keeping the public informed and defending press freedom.
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