海角大神

In an age of contentious cable television talk shows and sometimes acrimonious online discussion, the longest-running series on PBS continues to offer a calm tone. The acclaimed program 鈥淭he Open Mind鈥� was launched in 1956 by author and Rutgers University professor Richard Heffner, who hosted the program until he died in 2013.

His grandson, Alexander Heffner, took over the host鈥檚 chair in 2014 and brings both a classicist鈥檚 and a 21st-century perspective to a mass media institution that has featured the likes of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Betty Friedan, Henry Kissinger, and Isaac Stern. 鈥淚 consider myself an old soul,鈥� says 26-year-old Mr. Heffner. 鈥淚 like to tell people that I still grew up with Encyclop忙dia Britannica while it was being fused with the Wikipedia culture in which we reside today.鈥�

鈥淭he Open Mind鈥� has kept the 鈥渃ivil鈥� in civil discourse. With its single-guest format, political and societal topics unfold thoughtfully over the course of a half hour every week.

鈥淚 see Alexander retaining the essentials,鈥� Elaine Heffner, executive producer for 鈥淭he Open Mind鈥� and Richard鈥檚 widow, writes in an email. 鈥淎n ability to listen, engage in real dialogue about the issue at hand and facilitate the guest鈥檚 ability to express his or her viewpoint to the best degree possible.鈥�

Recent guests on the show have included Martha Minow, dean of Harvard Law School; actor/director/producer Rob Reiner; and Washington Post columnist Margaret Sullivan.

Heffner notes that while his grandfather launched 鈥淭he Open Mind鈥� close to the dawn of television, his own national career began just as social media and podcasts were coming into the public consciousness.

鈥淐ertainly we鈥檝e endeavored as a family to be in public service 鈥� my father鈥檚 a lawyer,鈥� Heffner says. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 an honor and a humbling act to be the torchbearer into the future.鈥�