New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof is one of the bestknown journalists working today. For four decades, he's has been on the ground in dozens of countries, covering a dizzying array of stories and earning high marks for his work. In 1990, Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, won the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting for their coverage of the rise and fall of China's prodemocracy movement. In 2006, Kristof won another Pulitzer — this time for commentary, for his columns on genocidal violence in Darfur.

In a brandnew memoir, “Chasing Hope: A Reporter’s Life,” Kristof offers an indepth chronicle of his journalistic career, which began in earnest when he was still a high schooler living in Yamhill, Oregon — a town whose subsequent deterioration has been experienced by countless other communities across the country. Kristof also explores the tension between the traditional journalistic norms of objectivity and detachment and the powerful sense of moral purpose that he and many other journalists bring to their work.

And he sizes up his illfated run for governor of Oregon, which ended in 2022 when he was deemed ineligible under the state's residency requirements. Among other things, the experience led Kristof to draw some provocative conclusions about the limitations of presentday progressivism.

In this episode of Talking Politics, Kristof discusses these and other topics — including the challenge that covering Donald Trump still poses for the press — with host Adam Reilly.

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00:00 Intro
1:03 Kristof answers why he wrote the book at this point in his career and history
1:40 What Kristof learned about politics from his failed bid for Oregon governor
3:45 As a liberal, Kristof explains frustrations with liberal approaches to key issues
4:10 How Kristof's father shaped his worldview
5:45 Kristof's fundamental optimism, despite covering horrific humanitarian crises
7:15 Kristof on telling individual stories when covering crises affecting millions
9:45 Kristof's path to success
11:56 Moments that really shook Kristof during his career
13:56 Is the journalist ideal of detachment still a good guideline?
16:41 Kristof on his strong belief in hearing perspectives you disagree with
18:24 How to cover Donald Trump
20:08 Kristof weighs in on how the media has done covering the war in Gaza
21:20 Kristof on some of the mistakes that still gnaw on him today
24:25 Adam askes Kristof how the community he grew up in shaped his career