The Open Mind (TV series)

{{Infobox television

| image = The Open Mind Logo.jpg

| image_alt = The Open Mind logo

| caption = The Open Mind logo

| genre = Interview

| creator = Richard Heffner

| presenter = Alexander Heffner

| country = United States

| company = The Open Mind Legacy Project

| network = National Educational Television

| runtime = 30 minutes

| first_aired = {{start date|1956|5}}

| last_aired = present

}}

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.{{Cite web |last=Ellefson |first=Lindsey |date=2020-09-01 |title=How PBS' 'The Open Mind' Plans to Thwart Disinformation Ahead of Election: 'There Are Not Two Sets of Facts' |url=https://www.thewrap.com/pbs-the-open-mind-aims-alexander-heffner/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=TheWrap |language=en-US}} 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.[http://news.rutgers.edu/richard-heffner-historian-teacher-pioneer-public-television-dead-88/20131218#.UrJ47HlML6J "Richard Heffner, Historian, Teacher, Pioneer of Public Television, is Dead at 88"], Rutgers University, December 19, 2013. Alexander Heffner, Richard Heffner's grandson, took over as the program's host in 2014.Cohen, Noam, [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/29/business/media/open-mind-host-continues-grandfathers-vision-for-new-generation-.html "'Open Mind' Host Continues Grandfather’s Vision for New Generation"], The New York Times, September 28, 2014.

History

The 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."Heffner, Richard, [http://www.thirteen.org/openmind-archive/public-affairs/the-closing-of-the-american-mind/ The Closing of the American Mind (interview/video/transcript; 1st min's of 29)], interview with Allan Bloom, 1987. 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.{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Ted |date=2023-06-27 |title=Political Figures Have In-Depth Chats Over Their Favorite Meals In New 'Breaking Bread' Series On Bloomberg Originals |url=https://deadline.com/2023/06/bloomberg-originals-breaking-bread-alexander-heffner-1235425660/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Breaking Bread Archives |url=https://www.thirteen.org/openmind/category/breaking-bread/ |access-date=2024-06-27 |website=The Open Mind, Hosted by Alexander Heffner |language=en-US}} Season 2 launched on July 4, 2024 and was released on Bloomberg Originals and The Open Mind.{{Cite news |last=Kurtz |first=Judy |date=June 26, 2024 |title='Breaking Bread' series aims to show the 'disarming effect' food can have on political talk |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/4739085-breaking-bread-pbs-baldwin-warnock-moore-murkowski-booker/ |access-date=June 27, 2024 |work=The Hill}}