More than 60 years after his grandfather, Richard D. Heffner, founded The Open Mind as a TV talk show in 1956, Heffner continues the broadcast’s goal to “elicit insights into the challenges Americans face in contemporary areas of national concern.”
As the longest-running public broadcast in the history of American television, The Open Mind is “a thoughtful excursion into the world of ideas across politics, media, technology, the arts and all realms of civic life.”
On the podcast, Heffner talks with everyone from political leaders, journalists, scholars, and authors to internet innovators, scientists, media executives, and musicians. Heffner has also lectured on American culture, politics, and civic life at numerous museums, learning institutes, and universities.
He is co-author of the book “A Documentary History of the United States” and 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’s written work has appeared in publications like USA TODAY, WIRED, TIME, The Wall Street Journal, The Independent, NYT's Room for Debate, Boston Globe, and Philadelphia Inquirer.
Flagler College Forum on Government and Public Policy has invited nationally recognized journalists and commentators to St. Augustine since 1998 to discuss issues of importance in regional, state, and federal government.
Forums are free and open to the public. If you are a person with a disability and need reasonable accommodations, please contact Jamie Saul at 904-826-8716. Sign Language Interpreters are available upon request with a minimum of three days' notice. Call 904-826-8677 or visit www.flagler.edu/forum for more information.
