The Modern West

Melodie Edwards brings public radio production values to the story of the American West, and the result is something genuinely different from every other show on this list. Produced by Wyoming Public Media and distributed by PRX, The Modern West is a documentary podcast that traces how the frontier past shapes the region's present -- its identity crises, land disputes, housing struggles, and the complicated relationship between myth and reality. Across 11 seasons and 215 episodes, Edwards has covered everything from wildfire management to affordable housing in rural communities. The current season, titled "Cheap Dirt," examines creative living arrangements across the West, which might sound like a departure from history until you realize that arguments about land use and property have been central to Western identity since the Homestead Act. Edwards connects those threads with a journalist's precision and a storyteller's instinct. The sound design is rich and immersive -- field recordings from actual Western landscapes woven through interviews and narration. Episodes run 28 to 35 minutes on a semimonthly schedule. Edwards grew up in Wyoming, and her personal connection to the region gives the show an authenticity that visiting journalists rarely achieve. At 4.6 stars with 286 ratings, it's the strongest pick for listeners who want to understand how the Old West became the modern one. This isn't cowboys-and-outlaws territory; it's smarter and more nuanced than that.