"There are two things that really good journalism should do. The first most basic thing is it needs to get the basic information accurately, the quotes need to be what people really said, the facts shouldn't be wrong...and then you do want good stories to be exciting when the news deserved it...if you do enough really good interviews and use the material well, you can make the story very pleasant and really interesting to read" ~ David Holley, former LAtimes bureau chief

Introduction

David has covered some of the most historical events in the second half of the 20th century. Prior to his teaching career, he worked as a foreign correspondent for the Los Angeles Times from 1987 to 2007, based in Beijing, Tokyo, Warsaw and Moscow. David holds a BA degree in Chinese from Oberlin College, and an MA in Communication from Stanford. After 2008, he became an adjunct professor of the School of International Liberal Studies at Waseda University and taught a variety of courses there as well as in Keio University, including Journalism, Russian history, Chinese politics, Post-war Japan and American politics. Upon his retirement, David and his wife have retreated to the countryside of Nagano where they are now enjoying a simple life of farming and being close with nature. 

Shownotes

• 00:20 David Holley’s short introduction by Jin, followed by Aika’s self-introduction. 
• 03:35 David shares “The Story of My Life” 
• 10:30 What kind of foresight did David have about Asia back when he was young?
  What sparked his interest in Asia, especially in India and China?  [Spoiler: Population density}
• 17:30 What did David learn from his study abroad in India and Taiwan? and what led him down the path of becoming a journalist? 
• 25:07 If we can dissect David into three individuals:
  1. Prejournalist David
  2. Journalist David
  3. Post-journalist David
  What remains the same throughout his life and what has changed over time? 
• 34:20 What separates a great piece of article/ journalist from one that is mediocre? 
• 44:50 Truth vs Clicks — David’s view on the future of journalism in a digitalized world. 
• 49:20 What are some of David’s most memorable highlights, lessons or experiences throughout his career as a foreign correspondent?
• 55:00 David’s perception of "suffering" & the symbolism behind the Shiva Nata Raja. Robinson Jeffers' poems.  
• 1:02:22 Jin shares his favorite quote of David Holley on the importance of making conflicting parties try and understand the reasoning and complexities of both sides of an argument. David elaborates on the quote. 
• 1:09:35 “This is complicated” - How did David teach his students about complexities of arguments in a non-dichotomous way? And what kind of examples does he use to illustrate those complexities?
• 1:16:00  David’s thoughts on Daoism. What is the role and purpose of human beings in a world that is transcendental beyond good and evil? 
• 1:21:00 A Daoist and harmonious transition of life- how does David’’s present life look like in the countryside of Nagano? 
• 1:29:00 David’s identity of living in foreign cultures and societies as a “white foreigner” and how he assimilates into them. 
• 1:35:26 If David can design a semester/10-weeks course and teaching anything, what would he like to teach? Spoiler: David talks about evolutionary psychology and the importance of “having at least 4 grandchildren”.