Alexander Heffner, host of ‘The Open Mind’ on PBS, to deliver Carleton convocation
In his presentation, titled, “Civil Discourse in an Uncivil Age: The Quest for a Post-Partisan Citizenship,” he will explore increasing divisiveness in American discourse and discuss how citizens, officeholders, journalists and digital platforms can work together to repair the disunity.
Alexander Heffner, the host of “The Open Mind” on PBS, will deliver Carleton College’s weekly convocation address on Friday, Oct. 2, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. over Zoom. In his presentation, titled, “Civil Discourse in an Uncivil Age: The Quest for a Post-Partisan Citizenship,” he will explore increasing divisiveness in American discourse and discuss how citizens, officeholders, journalists and digital platforms can work together to repair the disunity.
Since 2014, Heffner has hosted “The Open Mind,” a weekly excursion into the world of ideas across politics, media, technology, the arts and all realms of civic life. First broadcast in 1956, it is the longest running program in the history of American public television. Recent guests have included Pete Buttigieg, John Kasich, Bernie Sanders, Salman Rushdie, and Maya Soetoro-Ng. In 2016, The Washington Post described the program as “[a] radical approach to TV talk in a troubled time.”
Along with his work on “The Open Mind,” Heffner’s writing has appeared in The Daily Beast, USA Today, WIRED, TIME, Cognoscenti, New York Daily News and the Boston Globe. He is the co-author of the best-selling “A Documentary History of the United States,” a collection of documents, speeches and letters that have forged American history. He is the recipient of the University of Denver’s Anvil of Freedom Award, Franklin Pierce University’s Fitzwater Medallion for Leadership in Public Communication, and Yale University’s Poynter Fellowship in Journalism.
Heffner received his BA from Harvard University.
Convocation is sponsored by Carleton College Events. For more information, including disability accommodations, call (507) 222-4308.