In this episode of Signal Fire, Journalist and Author, James Fallows, joins the conversation to examine the collapse of local news and what it means for democracy. The discussion explores how storytelling shapes national identity, why the State of the Union has transformed into political spectacle, and how media institutions are struggling to adapt in an era of polarization and performance. Fallows reflects on the tension between objectivity and honesty, the economic unraveling of journalism, and the rise of citizen video as both a risk and a corrective.