027 | The World of Political Journalism with James Fallows
James (Jim) Fallows has been a contributing writer at The Atlantic since 1979. He has extensive write-ups on topics pertaining to US politics, including international relations and war. He has earned many accolades, including a designation as Chief Speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter. Jim is the author of More Like Us: Making America Great Again, where he provides an argument against the past trend of copying Japanese post-war economic solutions.
In this episode, you’ll hear about Jim’s vast experience as a writer and political activist. He talks about his childhood, his interest in writing, and his passion for flying planes. He describes the significant events he witnessed in the 70s and 80s and his experience as the President's speechwriter. He cites some of the failures of modern journalism. Jim also discusses some of his best works, including his HBO Max documentary, Our Towns.
"If you ask anybody about national politics, almost everybody sounds dumb."
- James Fallows
This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:
Why Jim’s family moved from Philadelphia to Redlands
Why Jim chose Harvard over other prestigious universities in the US
Remembering riots, assassinations, and other historical events
Jim’s draft experience and the events he witnessed
What it was like being the speechwriter for President Carter
The amount of statements writers prepare for presidents on a daily basis
Why speeches are easier to write than other forms of text
How fact-checking and research were conducted before the internet
Jim’s contributions to modern writing software
Jim’s passion for flying and traveling and his favorite plane
China's economy and visions for the future and what Jim thinks of current US-Chinese relations
The experience of being a white man in Japan
The moral lesson of flying a small airplane in China
Jim’s opinions on modern journalism and its failures
Jim’s predictions for America's future
Connect with James Fallows:
Book: Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America
Documentary: Our Towns
Spaceship Not Required
I’m Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean.
I’m an explorer, and that doesn’t always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity into action.
In this podcast, you can explore, reflecting on lessons learned from life so far and from my brilliant and ever-inquisitive guests. We explore together in this very moment from right where you are… spaceship not required.
Welcome to Kathy Sullivan Explores.