The Open Mind is a nationally broadcast public affairs interview program. It is the longest running program in the history of American public television and was first broadcast in May 1956.[1] Its creator, Richard Heffner, engaged in a "thoughtful excursion into the world of ideas" across politics, media, technology, the arts and realms of civic life, and was host until his death on December 17, 2013.[2] Alexander Heffner, Richard Heffner's grandson, took over as the program's host in 2014.[3]
| The Open Mind | |
|---|---|
 The Open Mind logo | |
| Genre | Interview |
| Created by | Richard Heffner |
| Presented by | Alexander Heffner |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company | The Open Mind Legacy Project |
| Original release | |
| Network | National Educational Television |
| Release | May 1956 – present |
History
editThe Open Mind was conceived to elicit meaningful insights into the challenges that society faces in contemporary areas of public concern. The program's title is attributed to a quote of Barnard College dean Virginia Gildersleeve (1877–1965), "Have an open mind, but not so open that your brains fall out."[4] The theme music chosen by Heffner, "World Without Time," is by the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra from their LP Adventures in Time.
In 2023, the producer of The Open Mind released a special series of conversations with elected officials over meals in their home states, Breaking Bread with Alexander, that premiered on Bloomberg TV and are now available on The Open Mind.[5][6] Season 2 launched on July 4, 2024 and was released on Bloomberg Originals and The Open Mind.[7]
Guests
editThousands of guests have appeared on the program, including:
- Civil rights and human rights leaders - Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Elie Wiesel, Gloria Steinem
- Politicians - John Thune, Doug Burgum, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, John Fetterman, Michele Lujan Grisham, Shelley Moore Capito, Eugene McCarthy, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Lugar, Dianne Feinstein, Ernesto Zedillo, Omar Saif Ghobash
- Authors and journalists - William F. Buckley, Salman Rushdie, James Patterson, Judy Blume, Isaac Asimov, Robert Caro, Neil Postman, William Safire, Carrie Sheffield, Frank Bruni, Jean Guerrero, Isobel Yeung
- Economists - Milton Friedman, Alan Greenspan, Paul Krugman, Peter G. Peterson
- Doctors - Jonas Salk, Bill Frist, Thomas Frieden, Laurie Glimcher, Nora Volkow
- Jurists and lawyers - Thurgood Marshall, Stephen Breyer, Robert Bork, Martha Minow, Judith Kaye
- Academics - Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Keith Whittington, Zeynep Tufekci, James Hansen
- Technologists - Mitchell Baker, Biz Stone, Blake Irving, Sue Gardner
- Historians - John Hope Franklin, Michael Ledeen, Richard Brookhiser, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
- Religious figures - Jonathan Sacks, John I. Jenkins, J. Bryan Hehir, Thomas Gumbleton
- University presidents - Michael S. Roth, Vartan Gregorian, Elizabeth Bradley, Mitch Daniels
- Actors and filmmakers - J.B. Smoove, Robert Redford, Joe Weisberg, Norman Lear, Oliver Stone
- Musicians - Macy Gray, Moby, Aloe Blacc, 9th Wonder, Shabaka Hutchings, Ottmar Liebert[8]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Ellefson, Lindsey (2020-09-01). "How PBS' 'The Open Mind' Plans to Thwart Disinformation Ahead of Election: 'There Are Not Two Sets of Facts'". TheWrap. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
- ^ "Richard Heffner, Historian, Teacher, Pioneer of Public Television, is Dead at 88", Rutgers University, December 19, 2013.
- ^ Cohen, Noam, "'Open Mind' Host Continues Grandfather’s Vision for New Generation", The New York Times, September 28, 2014.
- ^ Heffner, Richard, The Closing of the American Mind (interview/video/transcript; 1st min's of 29), interview with Allan Bloom, 1987.
- ^ Johnson, Ted (2023-06-27). "Political Figures Have In-Depth Chats Over Their Favorite Meals In New 'Breaking Bread' Series On Bloomberg Originals". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
- ^ "Breaking Bread Archives". The Open Mind, Hosted by Alexander Heffner. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
- ^ Kurtz, Judy (June 26, 2024). "'Breaking Bread' series aims to show the 'disarming effect' food can have on political talk". The Hill. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
- ^ Official Website, Archive.
