I'm with Ari Goldman, professor emeritus of journalism at Columbia University and former New York Times reporter. He has spent decades teaching and writing about the intersection of storytelling, faith, and empathy.

Episode in a 🌰:

We explore the tension between objectivity and empathy in journalism, the purpose of telling other people’s stories, and how faith traditions can expand our perspective without erasing our own. Along the way, we reflect on obituaries, pluralism, and the “third eye” of wisdom.

In season 2, I highlight one-to-one chats with teachers, professors, and mentors. The primary question for this entire season will remain the same: What makes a human, human? (The exceptions are episodes with special guests, where we might deviate from this topic.)

TIMESTAMPS:

[00:00:00] The conflict between empathy and objectivity
[00:04:24] Ari’s path into journalism — stories, obituaries, and religion reporting

[00:10:15] Why storytelling matters beyond just recounting events

[00:12:24] Faith, pluralism, and learning from other traditions
[00:15:18] Empathetic objectivity and its place in journalism
[00:17:08] Opening to other religions while staying rooted in your own

[00:19:01] Our mentor relationship

Hope you enjoyed the ep!