By — Judy Woodruff Judy Woodruff Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-pop-culture-and-social-media-are-changing-how-people-talk Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Audio Judy Woodruff has been speaking to a host of experts about the country's 250th anniversary for her "In Pursuit of Happiness" podcast. That includes conversations about the roles satire, national parks and music have played in our history. The latest episode looks at how American English evolved. As it turns out, there's one word that reveals a lot about the way we speak. Listen to this Segment Watch Watch the Full Episode PBS NewsHour from Aug 10, 2026 By — Judy Woodruff Judy Woodruff Judy Woodruff is a senior correspondent and the former anchor and managing editor of the PBS News Hour. She has covered politics and other news for five decades at NBC, CNN and PBS. @judywoodruff